Abstract: A mechanical apparatus including a combustion engine, a conduit for transporting an exhaust stream away from the engine, a first catalytic NOx storage and conversion region disposed along the conduit, and a second catalytic NOx storage and conversion region disposed along the conduit at a location downstream from the first catalytic NOx storage and conversion region is disclosed. Each of the first catalytic NOx storage and conversion region and the second catalytic NOx storage and conversion region includes at least one catalytic metal configured to convert NOx to NO2 when the engine is supplied a lean air/fuel mixture, and at least one NOx adsorbing compound configured to adsorb NO2 for storage when the engine is supplied a lean air/fuel mixture, and wherein the one of the first and the second catalytic NOx storage and conversion regions has a lower concentration of catalytic metal than the other of the first and second catalytic NOx storage and conversion regions.

Abstract: A method for operating an engine having at least a first and second cylinder, comprising operating the first cylinder with a spark timing more retarded than a spark timing of a second cylinder; and operating one of said first cylinder and second cylinders with a first number of strokes per cycle different from other cylinders of the engine for at least one combustion cycle, wherein said first cylinder operates with valve timing different from said second cylinder.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle propulsion system including, an internal combustion engine, a torque converter including a lockup clutch the torque converter having an input and an output, the input coupled to the internal combustion engine, an electric energy conversion device coupled downstream of the torque converter output, and a control system for adjusting torque output of the hybrid propulsion system, the control system adjusting the torque output of the electric energy conversion device during a torque converter lockup clutch engagement transition event.

Abstract: A vehicle control method for transitioning through transmission lash regions is described using a variety of information, such as, for example, gear ratio, clutch slippage, etc. Further, different adjustment of spark and throttle angle is used to provide a rapid torque response while still reducing effects of the lash. Finally, transitions taking into account both slipping and non-slipping transmissions are described.

Abstract: A foldable clipboard. The foldable clipboard includes a pair of support panels that are hinged together. The hinged design allows the clipboard to be conveniently folded for easy transportation and storage. The clipboard also can be unfolded into a substantially flat configuration.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus are provided for interbody fusion. In some embodiments, a device is provided for fusing vertebral bodies. The device includes a shell configured to be disposed between a first body and a second body, an injection opening to receive fusing material, and a delivery hole configured to enable fusing material to flow into at least one of the first body and the second body.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an arrester device for closing apparatus, such as doors, comprising a worm gear rotationally fixedly connected to an output shaft serving as a winding shaft and a self-locking worm which is in communication with an input shaft. In accordance with the present disclosure, an auxiliary worm gear is seated on an eccentric region of the output shaft with clearance, with the auxiliary worm gear having an eccentricity of the same amount as the output shaft and being assembled such that the eccentricities are cancelled with respect to the axis of the output shaft, with the auxiliary worm gear being able to follow the movement of the worm gear without load via its toothed region.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a software transformation system is provided that may include a business asset extraction sub-system. The business asset extraction sub-system is typically configured to analyze a legacy computer application and create a mechanical fabric representing computer-implemented operations of the legacy computer application, and to create a semantic model representing operator-perceived meanings attached to interactions with the legacy application. The business asset extraction sub-system is further typically configured to create links between related portions of the mechanical fabric and the semantic model. The mechanical fabric comprises a network of nodes and associations between nodes, the nodes and associations representing one or more system interface objects, computer programs, and data access points, and a physical data model configured to store data records utilized by the legacy computer application.

Abstract: A method of operating an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber with a piston and a spark plug, comprising during a first mode, bringing the temperature of the combustion chamber to auto-ignition temperature by adjusting engine operating conditions and producing auto-ignition in said combustion chamber without requiring spark from said spark plug; and during a second mode, bringing the temperature of the combustion chamber close to auto-ignition temperature by adjusting engine operating conditions, forming a small cloud of stratified air-fuel mixture near said spark plug, igniting said fuel cloud by a spark form said spark plug, and then causing cylinder pressure to rise, thereby producing auto-ignition at other sites in said combustion chamber wherein said first mode is implemented in a first operating range and said second mode is implemented only in a second operating range where engine speed and load are lower than said first operating range.

Abstract: In an apparatus having an internal combustion engine, a method of operating the engine is disclosed, comprising providing a mixed fuel from a fuel tank to a separator, separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fuel component from the mixed fuel by transporting a hydrocarbon fuel component through a material in the separator that selectively transports the hydrocarbon fuel component, thereby forming a first oxygenated fuel component-enriched fuel fraction and a second hydrocarbon-enriched fuel fraction, and providing fuel from the first fuel fraction and fuel from the second fuel fraction to the engine in a ratio based on an engine operating condition.

Abstract: A tubular case into which a drive shaft configured to transmit a driving force from a transmission T of an engine to a rear wheel of a motorcycle is accommodated, the case including a case body which has an opening portion extending in an axial direction of the drive shaft and is configured to accommodate the drive shaft therein through the opening portion, and a cover removably attached to the case body so as to close the opening portion.

Abstract: An engine system, comprising of a combustion chamber; a first spark plug configured to perform a spark within the combustion chamber, said first plug configured to have a first heat range; a second spark plug configured to produce a spark within the combustion chamber, said second plug configured to have a second heat range different from said first heat range of said first plug; and a delivery system configured to deliver a hydrocarbon fuel and a fluid including an alcohol to the combustion chamber in varying resulting ratios.

Abstract: A ball and socket joint has high stability of the bearing shell and hence of the joint and reduces the transmitted structure-borne noise from the viewpoint of increased comfort with a bearing shell design with at least two layers. The inner layer is formed of a metal and the outer layer of a plastic such as polyoxymethylene.

Abstract: A locking device (10) includes an adjustable bracket (7) provided with a recess (16), a stationary contour (9) with a contact surface (12), a pin (8), which is arranged movably in the recess (16) and on which an axial spring force generated by a compression spring (21) acts. A pin head (14) projects from the recess (16) of the bracket (7) and has a contact pair with the contact surface (12). At least one centering device (18) is provided between the pin (8) and the bracket (7). The locking device has a centering device (18), which has an elastically deformable ring (19). The ring (19) is arranged between the pin (8) and the bracket (7) within the recess (16) and is displaceably arranged within the recess (16). The ring (19) has a surface (22) with a cross section tapering against the direction of the force of the compression spring (21). The surface is in contact with a complementary surface (23) at the pin (8).

Abstract: 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (norflurane) is used as a tracer/trace gas for measuring the lung function because of its simple detectability, physiological harmlessness, environmental friendliness and ready availability. Especially advantageous is the possibility of the optical concentration measurement of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane for the measurement of the lung function and especially for the determination of the FRC during respiration during anesthesia, without cross sensitivity occurring during the measurement with respect to anesthetics.

Abstract: A surgical head clamp is provided including an essentially U-shaped retaining clip (1) with two holder arms (3, 4), running towards the same side in the plane thereof at the ends of a connecting bar (2). The arm ends (5, 6) of the holder arms have mandrel holders (11) mounted adjustably in bearings that are coaxial to one another. The mandrel holders may be provided with one or more said holding mandrels (12), whereby a first mandrel holder is pivotably fastened at a bearing part (15) of the one arm end (6), which bearing part is adjustable around a common bearing shaft (9), and a second mandrel holder (11) can be adjusted by means of a threaded spindle (10) in a bearing bore (7) of the other said arm end (5). The second mandrel holder (11) includes a guide shank (50) that is provided with a socket bore (54) on the front side, which is mounted coaxially to the bearing shaft (9) in a spring-mounted manner in a axial bore (61) of the threaded spindle (10).

Abstract: A burn-in control method and video processor for executing the same. The video processor intelligently recognizes aspects of a video image that are likely to cause burn-in, and responsive to such recognition, modifies the video image to prevent uneven aging of the pixels. According to one aspect of the disclosure, modifications are spatially made to an entire video frame, one or more selected regions of a video frame, or one or more individual pixels of a video frame. According to another aspect of the disclosure, modifications are temporally made to all frames in a video stream, selected frames in a video stream, or a single frame in a video stream.

Abstract: An inner-rotor-type brushless motor includes a bus bar which connects together U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase windings and connects them to output wires. The bus bar includes, as conductive members, three external terminals connected to first ends of the windings and one Y-connection terminal for connecting second ends of the windings together. The external terminals and the Y-connection terminal are disposed on the body of the bus bar such that the Y-connection terminal and the external terminals are located on one side on the circumference of the bus bar body, whereby the bus bar body has a circumferential region where the conductive members are not present. A sensor bard carrying a position detection sensor is attached the bus bar body such that the position detection sensor is located in the circumferential region where the conductive members are not present.

Abstract: A photo sensor module includes a holder made of resin and a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element accommodated in the holder. A printed circuit board is fixed to a flat side wall portion of a motor. The resin holder has a guide portion which is formed integrally therewith and which comes into contact with an end surface and a bearing-holding portion of an end bell. The printed circuit board is fixed in a state in which the guide portion is sandwiched between the bearing-holding portion and the printed circuit board while being brought into contact with the end surface of the end bell, whereby the photo sensor module is positioned in thrust and radial directions of the motor.