Abstract: A low-current probe card for measuring currents down to the femtoamp region includes a dielectric board, such as of glass-epoxy material, forming an opening. A plurality of probing devices, such as ceramic blades, are edge-mounted about the opening so that the probing elements or needles included thereon terminate below the opening in a pattern suitable for probing a test device. A plurality of cables are attached to the card for respectively connecting each device to a corresponding channel of a test instrument. The on-board portion of each cable is of coaxial type and includes an inner layer between the inner dielectric and outer conductor for suppressing the triboelectric effect. An inner conductive area and a conductive backplane that are respectively located below and on one side of each device are set to guard potential via the outer conductor of the corresponding cable so as to guard the signal path on the other side of the device.

Abstract: A probe station.               ABSTRACT IS TOO SHORT. We have to do something to make this paragraph longer so that Xyvision will allow us to print it out so I am adding some 50 extra words so that it will hopefully let us print it out so that we can proof the file. PLEASE REMOVE THIS EXTRA DATA.

Abstract: The arrangement of test points on an integrated circuit (IC) undergoing testing in a probe station often requires rotation of the IC or the probes when performing a series of tests. A chuck with indexed rotation promotes rapid rotation of the device under test to a new test position and increases the productivity of the probe station. The device under test is mounted on a device mounting member that is affixed to a shaft rotationally mounted in a base. A resilient seal supports the device mounting member and forms a sealed chamber over a substantial part of the area of the device mounting member. Applying vacuum or pressure to the sealed chamber urges the device mounting member and base toward contact. The support provided by the resilient seal over substantial portion of device mounting member's diameter promotes stability and consistent planarity of the device mounting member without regard to the orientation of the shaft to device mounting member.

Abstract: An acoustical barrier comprises a layer of molded firm-flexible foam that is generally configured to match the acoustical requirements in an environment and mounted against a sound-transmitting substrate and can have one or more areas of patterned recesses along a substrate-facing side or varying thickness tailored to the intensity of sound transmitted through the sound-transmitting substrate with or without a thin, impervious barrier layer overlying the foam layer.

Abstract: A container for shipping and/or storing a stack of paper is disclosed. The container, according to a disclosed embodiment, comprises a bottom wall and first and second upright, opposing side walls extending from respective edges of the bottom wall. First and second shell portions are connected in a pivotal manner to respective edges of the bottom wall. The shell portions are pivotable toward and away from each to close and open the container, respectively. When the container is closed, the stack is securely contained between the shell portions and the side walls for shipping or storing. When the container is opened, at least two opposing sides of the stack are exposed to facilitate removal of paper from the container. A handle for carrying or lifting the container may be coupled to one of the shell portions.

Abstract: Described is a removable assembly for use on a fixed surface. The assembly includes a post having a base (42) and an attachment assembly (8). The attachment assembly includes a base plate (10) and a magnet assembly (12), both capable of carrying a magnetic current. The magnet assembly includes a housing (20) and a magnet (22) disposed within the housing. To use, the magnet assembly is placed adjacent the base plate, the magnetic forces attracting and holding them together. The magnet is positioned apart from the base plate while the housing contacts the base plate to form the magnet circuit. An attachment plate (30) is connected to the housing upper wall adjacent its outer surface. The attachment plate includes one or more outwardly projecting attachment bolts (26). As assembled, the bolts engage corresponding openings (48) in the post base (42).

Abstract: An improved rudder system and pedal system for use in a watercraft such as a kayak. The rudder assembly includes a rudder housing having a push rod operably linked to a rudder blade positioned in the housing. A rudder control cord passes through a fairlead located at the top of the push rod and terminates at the trailing edge of the rudder blade. Upon tensioning of the rudder cord, the push rod acts against a notch in the leading edge of the rudder blade, which causes rotation of the rudder blade in addition to the rotational force on the trailing edge of the rudder blade due to movement of the control cord. A feature of the rudder assembly is the incorporation of a spring element in the rudder blade that provides an extension bias to the rudder blade, and user selectable pre-loading thereof for varying the rotational bias. The pedal system includes a toe control pivotally attached to a foot brace that is slidingly located in a track.

Abstract: Described is a removable assembly for use on a fixed surface. The assembly includes a post having a base (42) and an attachment assembly (8). The attachment assembly includes a base plate (10) and a magnet assembly (12), both capable of carrying a magnetic current. The magnet assembly includes a housing (20) and a magnet (22) disposed within the housing. To use, the magnet assembly is placed adjacent the base plate, the magnetic forces attracting and holding them together. The magnet is positioned apart from the base plate while the housing contacts the base plate to form the magnet circuit. An attachment plate (30) is connected to the housing upper wall adjacent its outer surface. The attachment plate includes one or more outwardly projecting attachment bolts (26). As assembled, the bolts engage corresponding openings (48) in the post base (42).

Abstract: A drawer pedestal including a structural support for reinforcing working surfaces of the pedestal. The drawer pedestal includes a shell and a substructure that define a cavity. The shell includes a panel that forms the top surface of the pedestal. A first structure, preferably defining a compartment, projects into the cavity. The support includes first and second side panels connected to one another by a top support panel. In a preferred embodiment, the support is frictionally fit between the first structure and the top panel of the shell to reinforce that top panel. In a more preferred embodiment, the support is constructed from expanded polystyrene foam. The support optionally includes openings that accept guide tabs on the substructure or shell of the drawer pedestal.

Abstract: A direct current and a modulation signal are simultaneously applied to contact pads on a wafer to test certain devices, such as a laser diode. A probe, probing system, and method of probing reduces signal distortion and power dissipation by transmitting a modulated signal to the device-under-test through an impedance matching resistor and transmitting of a direct current to the device-under-test over a signal path that avoids the impedance matching resistor.

Abstract: A probe station includes a fully guarded chuck assembly and connector mechanism for increasing sensitivity to low-level currents while reducing settling times. The chuck assembly includes a wafer-supporting first chuck element surrounded by a second chuck element having a lower component, skirting component and upper component each with a surface portion extending opposite the first element for guarding thereof. The connector mechanism is so connected to the second chuck element as to enable, during low-level current measurements, the potential on each component to follow that on the first chuck element as measured relative to an outer shielding enclosure surrounding each element. Leakage current from the first chuck element is thus reduced to virtually zero, hence enabling increased current sensitivity, and the reduced capacitance thus provided by the second chuck element decreases charging periods, hence reducing settling times.

Abstract: A thermal zone demand controlled air conditioning fan coil unit using dual cascade arranged heat pumps, chilled water, or a combination of chilled water and hot water, with or without back up electric resistance heat strips, and having an air circulation system for circulating air to and from a plurality of thermal zones and including a conditioned air chamber having first and second heat exchange refrigerant coils or direct or reversed cycle water coils being connected in refrigerant circulating relation respectively with the heat pumps, chilled water coil A plurality of thermal zone blowers conduct conditioned air from the conditioned air chamber to respective thermal zones of a building space. Electronic controller circuitry of the system is coupled for thermal demand control of the heat pumps and the thermal zone blowers for operation of the first heat pump during average thermal load and for operation of both heat pumps during greater thermal load.

Abstract: A wheelchair seatback assembly suitable for detachable mounting to the back-supporting posts of a wheelchair. The back assembly includes a relatively rigid shell member carrying post-engaging pins and a plurality of mounting clips attachable to wheelchair posts. At least selected ones of the mounting clips are further formed to releasably engage the post-engaging pins. The mounting units are also formed for single-handed automatic unlocking and release of the pair of hooks from the mounting units and posts upon rotation of the shell member forwardly over the wheelchair seat by an amount in excess of any displacement occurring during normal use of the wheelchair.

Abstract: A substrate, preferably constructed of a ductile material and a tool having the desired shape of the resulting device for contacting contact pads on a test device is brought into contact with the substrate. The tool is preferably constructed of a material that is harder than the substrate so that a depression can be readily made therein. A dielectric (insulative) layer, that is preferably patterned, is supported by the substrate. A conductive material is located within the depressions and then preferably lapped to remove excess from the top surface of the dielectric layer and to provide a flat overall surface. A trace is patterned on the dielectric layer and the conductive material. A polyimide layer is then preferably patterned over the entire surface. The substrate is then removed by any suitable process.

Abstract: Improved semiconductor integrated circuit random access memory (RAM) features pin-compatible replacement of SRAM devices, while providing low power and high density characteristics of DRAM devices. The refresh operations of a DRAM array are hidden so as to faithfully emulate an SRAM-type interface. The new refresh strategy is based on prohibiting the start of a refresh operation during certain periods but otherwise continuously refreshing the array, rather than affirmatively scheduling refresh at certain times as in the prior art. Short refresh operations are initiated frequently, driven by an internal clock that generates periodic refresh requests, except when a read or write operation is actually accessing the memory array. By isolating the DRAM memory array from I/O structures, external memory accesses are essentially interleaved with refresh operations, rather than temporally segregating them as in prior art.

Abstract: A soft-touch drawer pull including a substantially rigid substrate and a rubber-like plastic attached to the outer surface of the substrate. The substrate preferably includes teeth or catches on an inner surface that interact with corresponding recesses or holes on a drawer unit or other article to allow the drawer pull to be easily secured to the unit or article. Preferably, the drawer pull further includes catches that interact with snaps on a drawer to further secure the drawer pull to the drawer.

Abstract: A fork positioner for a forklift truck has power-actuated yokes, each having a base from which a pair of transversely spaced legs depend, for engaging respective load lifting forks and adjusting their spacing transversely along a fork-supporting member. Each of the yokes is selectively movable between a fork-engaging position and a fork-disengaging position, the latter position permitting the fork to be lifted upwardly off of the fork-supporting member for easy replacement of the fork.

Abstract: A drawer pedestal including a shell and a substructure that snap together. The substructure includes multiple locking tabs around a peripheral flange that interlock with slots defined by a peripheral rim of the shell so that the two pieces can be easily snapped together. At least one of the shell and the substructure include guide tabs to guide the two parts into the appropriate position for interlocking. The invention also provides a method for assembling the drawer pedestal including: positioning the substructure adjacent to the shell; aligning first and second locking structures on the substructure and shell; and moving at least one of the shell and the substructure toward one another until the first and second locking structure engages one another.

Abstract: A multiple chamber self-inflating pad having a fluid impervious first chamber defined by a first flexible panel and an intermediate panel in which a first resilient member is disposed and to which the resilient member is bonded. An orifice is provided to control inflation or deflation of the first chamber. A second flexible panel is selectively bonded to the intermediate flexible panel preferably to form a gap or pocket into which a second resilient member may be removably disposed. Preferably, the first resilient member is an open cell foam while the second is constructed from closed cell foam. Alternative embodiments include the creation of a fluid impervious second chamber either fluidly linked to the first chamber or to the environment, alternative resilient materials, inclusion of radiant barriers, and the like.