Abstract: A portable electrical heater including a portable housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air flow path therebetween; a blower for circulating air through the air flow path; an electrically powered heater element disposed in the air flow path; and a control board including a selector for effecting operation of the heater, and a digital display. An ambient temperature sensor and an electronic controller controls energization of the display and heater element in response to inputs from the selector and temperature sensor.

Abstract: A humidifier including a base defining a reservoir for liquid; a humidification mechanism for inducing dispersion of moisture withdrawn from the reservoir; a liquid storage tank having an outlet communicating with the reservoir and adapted to feed liquid thereto; and a container retaining a volume of a liquid treatment substance and defining a discharge opening communicating with the storage tank. Also included is an actuator mechanism operable to induce the discharge of a given dose portion of the treatment substance through the discharge opening into the storage tank.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing EMI/RFI shielding to cables connected between electrical circuitry contained within an enclosure and the exterior environment. A fixed supporting flange is secured to the enclosure adjacent to a gap in the enclosure. An adjustable compression flange is secured to the enclosure adjacent to the gap. Cables extending from inside of the enclosure to the exterior environment pass through the gap. A compliant, resilient gasket is positioned over the gap, between the supporting flange and the compression flange. The compression flange bearing against the cables compresses the cables into the gasket.

Abstract: A core of semi-permeable material forms a magnetic circuit having air gaps. A movable magnet provides flux in a first portion and a second portion of the magnetic circuit with the location of the magnet determining the portion. Magnetoresistive sensors in the air gaps provide signals related to the position of the magnet.

Abstract: A low ampere mechanical switch has a contact design creating a line of contact between the moveable and stationary contacts. The stationary contacts are stainless steel and the moveable contact is Inconel.TM.. Both contacts have a thin plating of gold alloy to provide for good mechanical strength at high temperature with a natural lubricating ability. The contact physical design provides good wiping action and mechanical contact while preventing troughing.

Abstract: A head mounted tracker is placed in the operator area near the operator. The tracker has the capability to map the operator area without manual assistance. These operations are performed by processing low and high frequency components, based on the frequency of an alternating current generating the magnetic field, of the magnetic field in the operator area.

Abstract: A method for cleaning the surface of a semiconductor wafer having an organic dielectric film thereon by removing residual slurry particles adhered to the wafer surface after chemical-mechanical planarization is provided. The semiconductor is subjected to a post CMP cleaning step by applying mechanical frictional force to the surface of the wafer while concurrently applying to the wafer surface and aqueous solution having a pH of greater than 10 for a period of time sufficient to wet and clean the wafer surface, the basic aqueous solution comprised of a surfactant and a tetra alkyl quaternary ammonium hydroxide compound such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide.

Abstract: An environmental sensor apparatus and method of making same is disclosed in which an environmentally sensitive silicon die is sandwiched between an elastomeric media seal and a conductive elastomeric pad contained within a housing. The conductive elastomeric pad contacts a printed circuit board (PCB) which leads from the housing. The die, elastomers and PCB are secured by a press fit plug which contacts the PCB and is heat staked to the housing to provide a substantially flush hermetic seal.

Abstract: A humidifier including a housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet, an air flow path between the inlet and outlet and a liquid reservoir; a blower system for producing air flow between the inlet and the outlet; and a retainer removably mounted in the housing and shaped and arranged to support a liquid absorbent evaporator pad in the air flow path. Also included is an ejector mechanism movable relative to the retainer and operable to eject the evaporator pad from the retainer means. The ejector mechanism simplifies replacement of a dirt clogged evaporator pad.

Abstract: A portable humidifier including a housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air flow path therebetween; a retainer disposed in the housing and defining key structure; and an air permeable, liquid absorbent cartridge element replaceably retained by the retainer and defining keyhole structure shaped and arranged to receive the key structure and at least one portion of the cartridge element being disposed in the air flow path. Also included is a blower disposed in the housing and activatable to produce air flow through the air flow path and cartridge element and a liquid supply for supplying liquid to the portion of the cartridge element.

Abstract: A head mounted display to view a created image and an external scene includes a display displaying the image and a prism receiving the image which includes a first surface for diffracting the image, and a second and third surface reflecting the image to a user of the head mounted display.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a non-volatile latching element is provided that includes one or more magnetic elements therein. By programming the magnetic elements to appropriate resistance values, the latching element assumes a pre-programmed state upon power up. The magnetic elements are preferably programmed using either a one or two layer word line. In another aspect of the present invention, the magnetic elements are formed as pseudo-spin valve structures utilizing only CoFe as the active ferromagnetic layers, with one ferromagnetic layer thinner than the other. This simplifies the design while maintaining the high moment material to achieve large GMR ratios.

Abstract: A fiber light source having, for instance, a 980 nm pump laser for pumping an erbium-doped optical fiber via a 980/1550 nm WDM coupler. The pumped fiber emits 1550 nm light. A portion of the 1550 nm light goes to a filter via the WDM coupler. The filter shapes the spectrum of the 1550 nm light. The filter is a passive device that may be made from erbium-doped fiber. From the filter the 1550 nm light goes through an isolator or a circulator on to an optical device for which the light is specially made. Such device may be an fiber optic gyroscope. By adding a narrowband optical fiber grating at the output of the pump laser to tune its output, the fiber light source is further improved in stability under variations of ambient temperature and light source drive current.

Abstract: The method of the present invention provides a process for manufacturing MEMS devices having more precisely defined mechanical and/or electromechanical members. The method of the present invention begins by providing a partially sacrificial substrate and a support substrate. In order to space the mechanical and/or electromechanical members of the resulting MEMS device above the support substrate, mesas are formed on the support substrate. By forming the mesas on the support substrate instead of the partially sacrificial substrate, the mechanical and/or electromechanical members can be more precisely formed from the partially sacrificial substrate since the inner surface of the partially sacrificial substrate is not etched and therefore remains planar. As such, trenches can be precisely etched through the planar inner surface of the partially sacrificial substrate to define mechanical and/or electromechanical members of the MEMS device.

Abstract: A high power radio frequency(RF) precision step attenuator includes a trim attenuator, a multi-step attenuator and a calibration/control circuit. The control circuit includes a memory for storing attenuator specific calibration data. The calibration data incorporates attenuator characteristics which are used by the control circuit to adjust the attenuator and compensate for manufacturing variances, temperature variations, and the like.

Abstract: A method of preparing an optical fiber for fusion splicing comprising the steps of providing an optical fiber having a fiber jacket and an end, removing a predetermined bulk of the fiber jacket from an area adjacent the end while one of substantially simultaneously moving gas over the area and exhausting gas from the area.

Abstract: A communications system capable of providing enhanced data integrity and reliability through redundant buses, and a network interface controller for use therewith. Redundant conductors conforming to well-known ethernet standards interconnect electronics components. Each component communicates with the conductors through a single network interface card (NIC). Each NIC comprises an ethernet compliant transceiver for each ethernet conductor in communication with the component. Microcontrollers embedded in each NIC synchronously and deterministically place data on the ethernet conductors according to a timing scheme stored in a non-volatile memory means. A heartbeat/power monitor is also provided to ensure that data cannot be transmitted in the event of a microcontroller failure. The communications system provides a high degree of redundancy and fault-tolerance and is therefore well-suited to critical applications in avionics communication.

Abstract: An evaporative humidifier including a portable housing defining an air inlet, an air outlet, an air flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a liquid reservoir; a blower system including a fan blade for producing air flow through the path between the inlet and the outlet; and a liquid absorbent evaporator pad disposed above the reservoir and in the path between the inlet and the outlet; the pad being a hollow cylinder and having a top surface, a bottom surface, and radially spaced apart cylindrical and coaxial inner and outer surfaces; and wherein the air flow path includes an axial section at least partially defined by the inner surface, and a transverse section communicating with the outer surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reading a magnetoresistive memory is disclosed wherein the wordline current is turned off during selected sensing operations. This substantially eliminates the noise that is typically injected by the wordline current into the bit structures during the sensing operations, which increases the signal-to-noise ratio on the sense lines. This, in turn, significantly increases the speed of the sensing operations and thus the read access time of the memory. Substantial power savings are also realized.