Abstract: A mechanical vibration control device includes a piezoelectric material having a pair of electrical leads extending therefrom, and a shunt circuit connected across the electrical leads of the piezoelectric material. The shunt circuit includes an energy dissipation circuit element having a dissipation element resistor, and a frequency tuning element inductor connected in parallel with the dissipation element resistor. To reduce and damp multiple vibrational modes, multiple shunt circuits are added in parallel. The various shunt circuits are isolated from each other with an isolator circuit element connected in series with each energy dissipation circuit element. The isolator circuit element includes an isolator element capacitor, and an isolator element inductor connected in parallel with the isolator element capacitor.

Abstract: An elongate grate capable of securing an edge portion of an artificial turf surface within a drainage channel is provided. The grate includes an elongate central portion defining a plurality of openings to permit runoff from the artificial turf surface to flow into the drainage channel. Connected to at least one exterior edge of the central portion is a downwardly extending wall portion being interior of the exterior edge for applying a downwardly directed engagement force to the edge portion of the artificial turf surface. According to another embodiment of the grate, an elongate slot is integrally defined in the central portion having a width such the edge portion of the artificial turf can be frictionally engaged therein. According to yet another embodiment, a grate is provided with a central portion positioned between opposed edge portions and defines a plurality of openings therein such that an impervious athletic surface can be formed over each of the edge portions.

Abstract: The graded dielectric combiner, such as for a dual heads up display (HUD) combiner, is fabricated by depositing a predetermined number of dielectric layers upon a substrate and by thereafter selectively removing at least some of the dielectric layers from a graded portion of the dielectric combiner. As a result, the number of dielectric layers disposed upon the substrate will vary across the graded portion of the combiner. More specifically, the graded portion of the combiner may include a number of bands. A predetermined percentage of each band includes the predetermined number of dielectric layers, while the remainder of each band includes less than the predetermined number of dielectric layers. Since the dielectric layers are deposited in a conventional fashion, however, the thickness of each remaining dielectric layer will be uniform across the substrate.

Abstract: A radar system (25) includes a transmitter (42), receiver (48) and a phased array antenna (28) composed of a plurality of subarrays (26). The transmitter is interconnected with certain laterally located subarrays (34, 36, 38, 40) of the antenna and other centrally disposed subarrays (30, 32). The subarrays (26) are interconnected via beam formers (46) to a multi-channel receiver (48) providing a radar system having multiple beams with enhanced sidelobe suppression. Another version steers the transmit beams by applying linearly varying phase functions (56) combined with fixed increasing or decreasing phase functions (57)to antenna array radiators(55).

Abstract: A coaxial, fiber optic, or twisted pair cable having a is core surrounded by an armor layer and an outer protective jacket such that relative movement between the armor layer and the protective jacket is permitted. The armor layer has a pair of opposing longitudinal edge portions and is wrapped around a cable core such that a longitudinally extending seam is produced. The outer surface of the armor layer has an adhesive layer disposed thereon for bonding an outer protective jacket thereto. Portions of the outer surface of the armor layer adjacent the longitudinally extending seam are oxidized, thereby effectively neutralizing the adhesive layer. The oxidized portions of the armor layer reduce, if not eliminate, adherence between the protective jacket and the armor layer along the longitudinally extending seam.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for automatically molding defined three-dimensional foam cushions. The apparatus comprises means for preparing a bag from plastic film material and for enclosing a foamable composition in the plastic bag, means for concurrently aligning a mold with the plastic bag and the bag preparing means, means for placing the bag containing the foamable composition into the aligned mold as the foamable composition begins to form foam, and means for maintaining the bag in the mold until the foamable composition has substantially finished forming foam in a shape conforming to the mold.

Abstract: The method and apparatus for measuring the oxygen saturation of blood within a retinal vessel illuminates the retinal vessel with light having a combination of wavelengths selected to reduce the error in the measured blood oxygen saturation. The oxygen saturation measuring method and apparatus illuminates a retinal vessel with light having the selected combination of wavelengths. For example, the oxygen saturation measuring method and apparatus can illuminate the retinal vessel with light having a first wavelength between 460 nm and 503 nm, a second wavelength between 600 nm, and 770 nm and a third wavelength between 770 nm and 1000 nm. The oxygen saturation measuring method and apparatus then measures the transmittance of the blood within the retinal vessel in response to the illumination at each of the selected wavelengths.

Abstract: A body integral electronics package housing is formed of cloth material that simulates a person's garment, such as a poncho or vest. The housing contains various pockets to confine various electronic modules, including a front pocket of such size as to overlie the breast and midriff portions of the person's torso. The front pocket confines a plurality of rigid electronic modules that are supported within the pocket in a row and column array. The user may twist or turn his torso and bend forward or back and the foregoing array, and the modules do not restrict that movement. Instead, the position of the individual modules independently adjusts to the torso's position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing a defined foam cushion for packaging purposes comprises placing a foamable composition into a plastic bag, maintaining the bag in an orientation that provides the bag with a defined solid geometry while the foamable composition expands into foam, and embossing at least one surface of the defined geometry bag after the foam has substantially finished expanding but has not completely hardened.

Abstract: A method of measuring and monitoring the back side and interior defect density of a wafer from its back side by substantially increasing the back side reflectivity through lapping, etching and controlled back side damage, then measuring defect density with an optical scanner.

Abstract: A power source for a welding or cutting system is provided which preferably includes a power switching circuit, a switching cessation detector, and overshoot reducing means. The power switching circuit switches electrical power to provide an electrical power output signal of the power source to an electric arc tool operatively coupled thereto. The switching cessation detector is responsive to the power switching circuit. The cessation detector generates a switching cessation signal responsive to detecting electrical power being supplied to an electric arc tool operatively coupled to the power source when the power switching circuit ceases switching. The overshoot reducing means is responsive to the switching cessation signal and reduces excess current output from the power switching circuit upon resumption of switching. Related methods are also discussed.

Abstract: A photonic signal is applied to a photonic bandgap structure having a photonic band edge transmission resonance at the frequency of the photonic signal and having a photonic band edge transmission resonance bandwidth which is at least as wide as the bandwidth of the photonic signal. When a photonic band edge transmission resonance is matched to the photonic signal which is being transmitted, a controllable delay is imparted to the photonic signal without significantly altering the photonic signal itself.

Abstract: A method for forming an optical device includes the steps of providing a first plate having a first face defining a recess, filling the recess with a material which can be crystallized, and covering the first face and the recess with a second plate having a second face, so that the second face is in contact with the first face and the material in the recess is completely enclosed by the first and second plates. The material in the recess is thereby protected from chemical and mechanical damage, as well as evaporation. In addition, the plates can be transparent, allowing the material in the recess to be visually monitored. A grown crystalline film packed in the cell can be used as a non-liner and/or electro-optical device.

Abstract: The method and apparatus precisely identifies and locates an object which resonates in response to signals of at least one and, more typically, two resonant frequencies. The locating apparatus includes a transmitter for concurrently transmitting signals having a resonant frequency and signals having a non-resonant frequency toward the resonant object. The locating apparatus also includes at least two receivers for receiving reflected signals having the resonant frequency and the non-resonant frequency. The locating apparatus further includes a signal processor for locating the resonant object based upon the reflected signals detected by the receivers. The signal processor has multiple channels, one of which is associated with each receiver, for separately processing the reflected signals received over time by each of the receivers.

Abstract: A fluid connector for a compression system for improving venous blood flow in a patient provides a continuous fluid passageway between a source of pressurized fluid and a plurality of inflatable chambers in an elongated pressure sleeve. The connector includes a flexible conduit comprising a plurality of elongate hollow tubes having a corresponding plurality of fittings attached at one end of the conduit. The fittings form a fluid-tight seal between the conduit and a corresponding plurality of outlet ports communicating with the source of pressurized fluid. A grip portion is provided adjacent the end of the conduit. The grip portion is releasably attached to the source of pressurized fluid and grips the conduit securely between adjacent tubes such that the fittings move freely and independently relative to the grip portion. In this manner, leakage of the pressurized fluid and contamination of the fluid stream is minimized, while stresses induced in the conduit are not transferred to the fittings.

Abstract: Four sheet SPF/DB panels having thick perpendicular webs formed between face sheets for areas of high compressive stress while other areas have relatively thinner webs so that the overall weight of the panel is not excessive. The thick webs are constructed by welding doubler strips or grids to core sheets when the core sheets are welded together into a core assembly prior to panel formation. When the core assembly so formed is superplastically deformed, the outer edges of the doubler strips bond to the face sheet and then are stretched into the centers of the thick webs, thereby thickening them for additional compressive strength. Normally such are used to reinforce edge joints between panels or supporting structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a single-camera autostereoscopic picture-taking device implementing an array of cylindrical lenses, characterized in that it comprises in succession:a single inlet objective (L1, L2);said lens array (20), which has a focal length such that for an image area equal to the pitch (p) of the lenses making it up, the image of the entrance pupil of the telecentric objective (L1, L2) has a nominal width equal to said pitch;a transfer optical system (L3, L4) having magnification of less than unity; andan image sensor (22),the transfer optical system (L3, L4) directing the light rays that emerge from the lens array (20) onto the image sensor (22), the image (21) of the lens array (20) in the transfer optical system (L3, L4) being such that the pitch (p) of the lenses of the lens array (20) corresponds therein to an integer number of image points (pixels) of the image sensor (22).