Abstract: Microwave signals are coupled from a microwave module to a microstrip transmission line, each installed on a chassis plate. The microwave signals are fed through the bottom or side of the microwave module using a feedthrough pin mounted in the module. The feedthrough pin extends from the microwave module interior into a channel defined in the chassis plate and to a microstrip line on the opposite side of the plate. An electrically conductive gasket is placed about the feedthrough pin between the microwave module and chassis plate to reduce signal leakage and enhance ground continuity. An insulating sleeve is installed about the feedthrough pin in the chassis plate channel and provides a nominal clearance (e.g., 0.005 inches) within that channel to allow for manufacturing and assembly tolerances and to enable feedthrough impedance to be substantially insensitive to the position of the feedthrough pin and insulating sleeve within the channel.

Abstract: An active sensing and switching device for use in controlling current to a load, comprising a controller means (U1) for disconnecting the load from a power source by providing a switch-open control signal based on a signal indicating a sensed value of electrical current to the load, characterized in that the controller means (U1) determines a nominal value for the electrical current to the load based on monitoring the signal indicating the sensed value of electrical current to the load. A load control system is also provided, including a single ASSD adapted to receive signals indicating sensed values of electrical current to a plurality of respective loads, and further comprising a plurality of load control modules adapted so as to be disposed in proximity to respective loads or a main power line, wherein the load control modules provide respective signals indicating sensed values of electrical currents to the respective loads.

Abstract: A fluid quick connector with a shut off valve interface is mountable on a first endform, such as a building plumbing stub out. The quick connector carries a retainer at an opposite end for releasable latching of a second fluid operative element to the stub out. An internally movable shut off valve is carried in the quick connector housing and is normally biased to a fluid blocking position. Insertion of a second endform through the second end of the quick connector housing overcomes the biasing force on the valve and moves the valve to an open fluid flow position allowing fluid flow between the stub out and the second endform.

Abstract: A multiplexer and a method for chip-synchronous code-division multiple access (CDMA) signals produces a constant envelope signal. The output signal of the multiplexer permits use of a saturating (Class C) high power amplifier (HPA) resulting in a net increase in effective transmitter power usage. This multiplexer applies to a variety of CDMA spread spectrum modulation formats and has many applications, such as the IS-95 forward link interface, and CDMA and CDMA/FDMA (frequency-division multiple access) applications, including general cellular base station forward traffic channels, cellular subscriber station multiple-channel reverse traffic channels (e.g. IS-95 subscriber Internet access) and satellite downlinks.

Abstract: A system for remote quantitative detection of fluid leaks from a natural gas or oil pipeline by use of an airborne platform; including at least one laser light source for nearly simultaneous illuminating two or more target fluids and a background, wherein the two or more target fluids are characterized by two or more absorption wavelengths, and wherein the background has a different wavelength than either of the two or more target fluids. The illumination source is pointed based on a positioning system while in a geometric area along a path two or more target fluids are scanned for using the illumination sources. A signal detector detects the two or more target fluids using quantitative signal processing. Also included are a controller, a path planning and path finding tool for the positioning of the airborne platform, and a communicator for communicating the presence of the detected leak.

Abstract: The present invention provide a new and unique macerator assembly or device for coupling and decoupling to a waste disposal port of a holding tank of a recreational vehicle, train, airplane, bus, boat or other portable toilet application for emptying the same. The macerator assembly includes a pump head adaptor and a macerator pump subassembly. The pump head adaptor has means for coupling the macerator device to the waste disposal port of the holding tank, and has a pump head inlet adapter with a garden hose adapter arranged therein for receiving water from a garden hose for flushing the holding tank. The macerator pump subassembly is coupled to the pump head adapter, has an in-take port for receiving waste from the holding tank through the pump head adaptor, has a rotary blade for chopping the waste, and has a discharge port for discharging the waste to a suitable discharge waste repository.

Abstract: A tee for mounting an instrument in a pipe system, the tee comprising a body member having at least one inlet and one outlet for providing a flow path through the body, and a concave surface that forms a cup in fluid communication with the flow path for providing fluid access to the instrument, wherein (a) at least one of the inlet or the outlet is positioned offset relative to a central axis of the cup, (b) the inlet is vertically offset from the outlet, or (c) a combination of (a) and (b). Piping systems having such tees, particularly with at least one tee mounted in a rolled position such that the central axis of the cup is aligned at an angle in a range of 0 to 90 degrees from vertical, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A phased array antenna includes a plurality of radiating elements arranged as orthogonal pairs in a herringbone pattern. Each radiating element includes multiple microstrips disposed conformally on a planar substrate. Each radiating element includes a dipole formed as a pair of dipole microstrips extending from a pair of launch points. Each dipole microstrip extends between one launch point of the pair of launch points and a top loading microstrip, which provides a capacitive load to the dipole. The top loading microstrip extends between parallel microstrips, which provide an additional capacitive load to the dipole.

Abstract: The invention proposes an arrangement for connecting a rigid tube to a flexible tube, of the type in which an upstream end section of the rigid tube is pushed coaxially into a complementary downstream end section of the flexible tube, and of the type which comprises a tubular sleeve which extends coaxially around the downstream end section of the flexible tube and is crimped radially onto the flexible tube to fix the rigid tube to the flexible tube by radial clamping, characterized in that the sleeve and the upstream end section of the rigid tube are curved at least in part and with more or less the same radius of curvature.

Abstract: The invention proposes a process for producing a component comprising a tubular body made of a thermoplastic, consisting of at least one elbow section, which process includes the steps of: a) a step of producing a tubular extrudate by extrusion or by injection; b) a step of forming the said elbow section by the hot bending of an intermediate section of the extrudate between two straight sections, characterized in that the bending step is carried out continuously on the hot extrudate formed during the production step. The invention also proposes an installation for implementing the process, which comprises a device for producing the extrudate by extrusion or injection, and a bending head placed immediately downstream of the production device.

Abstract: A fuel vapor pressure regulator by which the input pressure of an input fluid is regulated by the opening and closing of a valve unit controlled by a piston pressure sensor, the operation of which is, in turn, controlled by a movement of a preset bias, the output pressure of the fluid delivered by the regulator, and a biasing pressure that reflects the operating demands of the utilization unit to which the fluid is delivered.

Abstract: A method for superimposing graphic representations of ground locations onto images of ground locations after detecting the presence of material failure(s) or failures in man-made structures in such ground locations including providing an image sensor spaced remotely from the ground and which sequentially captures a number of images of various ground locations to provide digital images of such ground locations; processing captured digital images to determine the presence of a potential material failure in a man-made structure in accordance with predetermined coordinate positions which locate the man-made structures in one or more of the captured digital images; identifying reference points in the ground locations corresponding to the same reference points in the graphic representations of the ground location; and superimposing the graphic representation with the reference points onto at least one of the captured digital images.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for assessing the reflective properties of mirrors at different angles of incidence without precise knowledge of the mirror's basic optical constants and/or without precise knowledge of the mirror's over-coating prescription. Reflectance values can be accurately calculated for multiple angles of incidence based upon measurement data collected for a single angle of incidence. The approach uses equations based on the Fresnel equations for reflectance in which reflectance is calculated as a function of the angle of incidence of incoming light to the scanned mirror used to collect the signal. The angle of incidence-based approach allows accurate reflectance values to be calculated over a broad range of wavelengths and angle of incidences without detailed knowledge of the optical properties of the coating material and the substrate underneath.

Abstract: A smart card connector has a housing (11) formed by an insulative contact holder (12) and a sheet metal cover (14) that has an upper plate (46) lying above an upper face of the contact holder, to form a card-receiving cavity (30) between them. A wire spring (16) has a spiral wound planar main portion (141) that is mounted to lie on the upper surface of the sheet metal upper plate (46). The wire spring has a first end portion (144) fixed to the cover and has a second end portion (158) with a right angle bend (160) leading to a downwardly-extending ejection spring part (162). The ejection spring part extends though a slot (66) in the cover upper plate portion and into the cavity to lie in the path of the card leading edge.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates cluster formation within a communications network by utilizing network topology information to designate network nodes that are crucial for relaying traffic as cluster head nodes, while remaining network nodes are designated as member nodes. A beacon packet transmission rate of a network node or the interval between successive beacon packet transmissions by that node is adjusted by the present invention to facilitate cluster formation independent of network size and varying initial start times of network nodes. In addition, the present invention utilizes the above described cluster formation technique to form a three tier architecture for transmission or flooding of routing information from head node databases throughout the network. The cluster formation technique is applied to cluster head nodes to form an additional network tier of super nodes that distribute routing information, while cluster head nodes route network data traffic.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing airborne contaminants in residential or commercial buildings injects filtered air into these enclosures. Prior to be injected in these enclosures, the air is filtered for chemical, biological or radioactive hazards. The filtering of the air ensures that the enclosure is a safe haven. The apparatus includes an enclosure, a filtration assembly for removing airborne biological, chemical or radioactive agents mounted with the enclosure. A series of expansion slots can be mounted within the enclosure to assembly a multi-stage filtering process. A blower is also included in the apparatus for overcoming the resistance of the filtration assembly and increases the air pressure inside the building to achieve protective overpressure. A control system within the apparatus monitors the pressure and adjusts the airflow in the system in order to maintain the protective overpressure.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant multi-layer tube comprises a metal tube; a zinc layer bonded to the metal tube outer surface; a surface treatment layer bonded to the zinc layer; a priming layer; a first polymeric layer bonded to the priming layer; a second polymeric layer bonded to the first polymeric layer. A process for manufacturing the tube comprises the step of extruding multiple layers of a melt-processible thermoplastic to a pretreated metal tube having an external surface with at least a zinc based coating, a sealant coating on top of the zinc based coating, and a primer coating on top of the sealant coating. The primer coating is preferably applied by an airless spray system in a closed atmosphere, wherein substantially no volatile organic compounds escape into the atmosphere. The polymeric layer(s) remain adhered to the metal tube, even when exposed for prolonged periods to aggressively corrosive environments.

Abstract: A conduit including at least one thermoplastic layer and a wire bondably embedded in the thermoplastic layer. The wire composed of a bendable material capable of maintaining the conduit in a bent configuration.

Abstract: A method of mounting a fiber optic unit to a photosensor. The photosensor is mounted to a first carrier. A first end of the fiber optic unit is bonded to the photosensor to create a joint between the fiber optic unit and the photosensor. A second end of the fiber optic unit is mounted to a second carrier. The joint between the fiber optic unit and the photosensor is compressed. This compressing step strengthens the bond between the fiber optic unit and the photosensor.

Abstract: A collision avoidance system for a vehicle includes a collision avoidance processor, and an active sensor for obtaining successive range measurements to objects along a path transversed by the vehicle. The active sensor includes a near range gate for obtaining a near range measurement to objects located at a range less than a first predetermined range, and a far range gate for obtaining a far range measurement to objects located at a range greater than a second predetermined range. The near and far range measurements are provided to the collision avoidance processor for maneuvering of the vehicle.