Abstract: A woven terry fabric (10) includes a non-moisture-transporting synthetic filament yarn (F) in at least one of the fill or the warp. The pile loops (T) comprise natural fibers. The fill yarn, warp yarn, and pile loop yarn are woven together in a three-pick terry-weave pattern.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for configuration control and power management through special signaling is provided. In one embodiment, a computer system may include a processor and a plurality of devices that may act as a source device, a destination device, or both. A particular source device may be configured for communications with a destination device. The source device may further be configured to violate one or more known communications rules when communicating the with the destination device. The destination device may be configured to detect the violation. The violation of a known communications rule by the source device may indicate a pending change of state in the computer system, or that a change of state has occurred.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for suspending slats of a bed base, the device being constituted by a one-piece unit presenting a top section having two housings for receiving the ends of two parallel slats, a bottom section provided with anchor means to anchor said unit to a bed frame, and an intermediate section connecting the top section to the bottom section and constituting the resilient suspension element, said bottom section having a vertical bottom wall for bearing against an inside face of said frame and a horizontal top wall for resting on the top face of said frame, and said unit presenting a vertical plane of symmetry perpendicular to said top wall and to said bottom wall, wherein the intermediate section is constituted by semicylindrical wall portions that are substantially bodies of revolution about axes perpendicular to the plane of symmetry, said wall portions connecting the top section to the bottom section, and said axes of revolution being disposed inside the volume defined by said top sect

Abstract: A system and method for increasing resolution of pulse width modulated (PWM) signal duty cycle calculations in a fan speed control system operating to control rotational speed of at least one fan. The method may comprise obtaining a temperature reading from a first temperature sensor in the fan speed control system during a first time period. The temperature reading has resolution of a first number of bits. A portion of the first number of bits is selected for calculating a PWM signal duty cycle with the resolution of the first number of bits in the temperature reading using only the portion of the first number of bits and zone parameters associated with the first temperature sensor. The PWM signal duty cycle may then be converted into a PWM signal that may be provided to the at least one fan.

Abstract: A falling film evaporator includes a flow distributor for uniformly distributing a two-phase refrigerant mixture across a tube bundle. The flow distributor includes a stack of at least three perforated plates each of which are separated by nearly full-width, full-length gaps or chambers. The flow distributor may also include a suction baffle and/or a distributor baffle. The distributor baffle extends downward to provide a hairpin turn past which refrigerant travels before exiting the evaporator. This directional change helps separate liquid from a primarily gaseous refrigerant stream. The suction baffle has various size openings to ensure that the flow rate of refrigerant through the hairpin turn is generally uniform and is maintained low enough to ensure liquid disentrainment over and along the length of the tube bundle within the evaporator.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a low voltage rail-to-rail CMOS input stage. The input stage includes a differential pail of P-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect (PMOS) transistors, which produces differential output current signal. The input stage further includes a pair of N-channel depletion-mode metal oxide semiconductor field effect (NMOS) transistors, coupled to the bulk terminals of the differential pair of PMOS transistors, for receiving an input signal. The depletion-mode NMOS transistors further act as source follower devices to drive the bulk terminals of the differential pair of PMOS transistors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for hot-docking is disclosed. In one embodiment, a portable computer system includes a bus bridge and a bus coupled to the bus bridge. The bus may have one or more peripheral devices or peripheral interfaces coupled to it. The bus may also be coupled to a docking interface having a bus switch. The bus switch, when closed and the computer is coupled to a docking station, may couple the bus to a peripheral interface in a docking station. The bus switch may close responsive to docking, thereby completing the electrical coupling of the bus to the peripheral interface in the docking station. The closing of the bus switch may be controlled by the docking interface such that operations on the bus are not interrupted during the docking procedure.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of an improved iron promoted vanadium antimony oxide catalyst useful in the ammoxidation of propane to acrylonitrile wherein the source of iron (i.e. an iron containing compound such as Fe2O3) employed in the catalyst preparation has a BET surface area greater than 120 m2/gram. Such catalysts are useful in processes for the ammoxidation of a C3-C5 paraffinic hydrocarbon to its corresponding ?-?-unsaturated nitrile, the ammoxidation of propylene with NH3 and oxygen to acrylonitrile, the ammoxidation of methylpyridine with NH3 and oxygen to make cyanopyridine, the ammoxidation of m-xylene with NH3 and oxygen to make isophthalonitrile, and the oxidation of o-xylene to make phthalic anhydride.

Abstract: A dual-phase flush urinal that maintains itself in a sufficiently sanitary condition with minimal water consumption. The urinal includes a piece of chinaware having a rear wall with a pair of sidewalls depending normally outward therefrom. A bottom extent of the sidewalls terminates in a curved bowl portion having a fluid well and a water drain therewithin. The sidewalls and rear wall together define a containment area in which an atmospheric vacuum breaker and valve means are disposed. The valve means is in electrical communication with a sensor that detects the presence of a user and has a first fluid discharge port in fluid communication with the bowl portion and a second fluid discharge port. Upon detection of the user, the sensor transmits a first signal to the valve means to initiate a first water exchange phase of the flush cycle. The first fluid discharge port provides water along an elongate channel to remove waste from the bowl portion.

Abstract: Mixed alcohols can be used as a fuel additive in gasoline, diesel, jet fuel or as a neat fuel in and of itself. The mixed alcohols can contain C1-C5 alcohols, or in the alternative, C1-C8, or higher, alcohols in order to boost energy content. The C1-C5 mixed alcohols contain more ethanol than methanol with amounts of propanol, butanol and pentanol. C1-C8 mixed alcohols contain the same, with amounts of hexanol, heptanol and octanol. A gasoline-based fuel includes gasoline and the mixed alcohols. A diesel based fuel includes diesel and the mixed alcohols. A jet fuel includes kerosene and the mixed alcohols. The neat fuel of the mixed alcohols has an octane number of at least 109 and the Reid Vapor Pressure is no greater than 5 psi. The gross heat of combustion is at least 12,000 BTU's/lb.

Abstract: A bandgap voltage reference generator may include a BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor) and a pair of MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) coupled to the BJT. The base-emitter voltage Vbe of the BJT may exhibit a non-linearity with respect to temperature. The difference between gate-source voltages of the pair of MOSFETs exhibits an opposite non-linearity with respect to temperature. The opposite non-linearity reduces the effect of the non-linearity on the output voltage of the bandgap voltage reference generator. The difference in gate-source voltages of the pair of MOSFETs may be determined by the ratio of channel width to channel length of each MOSFET included in the pair of MOSFETs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mixing valve (30) suitable for electric motor (38) actuation, particularly stepper motor actuation. It also provides a servo mixing valve system, which includes stepper motors for actuation and optionally includes a solenoid switched outlet manifold and a combination mixing and dye. The present invention also provides an actively controlled bathroom shower mixing system including temperature formation feedback.

Abstract: In a GPS navigation apparatus, a procedure of preparation of route for navigation using a specific point (WAY-POINT or MARK-POINT) established and registered by the tracking function is simplified. A TRACK list picture is read out from a MENU picture by the predetermined operation, and a desired TRACK name is designated from the list. When a type the specific point is selected by the predetermined operation to designate conversion from the TRACK to a ROUTE, position data of the START POINT, the specific point of the selected type, and the DESTINATION POINT, of the designated TRACK name are extracted, and interpolation data connecting the positions by straight line in the time series sequence is produced to construct a ROUTE for navigation. Conventionally, the selection has been made by each POINT unit, however, an automatic conversion in a batch in a TRACK unit is employed, and thus a route creating operation is extremely simplified.

Abstract: The invention is a method for operating an extruder temperature controller. The method can include sensing an actual screw speed for an extruder screw in an extruder barrel. The extruder barrel has at least one heat exchange means. The method can then involve indexing and storing a plurality of screw speeds. Each of the stored screw speeds corresponds to a temperature reset value. Comparing the actual screw speed with each of the stored screw speeds can then be performed. Selecting one of the stored screw speeds can then occur. The selected screw speed is a member of the plurality of stored screw speeds having a value most arithmetically equivalent to the actual screw speed. The step of selecting retrieves the temperature reset value corresponding to the selected, stored screw speed. Generating a control output driver signal to the heat exchange means can occur. The control output driver signal is responsive to the retrieved temperature reset value.

Abstract: A temperature to digital converter device is implemented by integrating a temperature sensor circuit into an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Temperature-to-digital conversion is accomplished by first measuring a change in voltage (?VBE) across the junction of a diode when different current densities are forced through the junction. The thus obtained ?VBE is proportional to temperature. As part of the conversion processing, ?VBE is multiplied by a fixed gain, and an offset voltage value is subtracted from ?VBE. The multiplication and subtraction functions are performed by a switched-capacitor integrator in a delta-sigma ADC and the ADC itself operates as the temperature-to-digital converter device, eliminating the extra amplifier and/or capacitors required when the multiplication and/or subtraction function are performed outside the ADC. Alternately, other ADC topologies that include an integrator or gain amplifier, such as pipeline ADCs and cyclic ADCs may be used in place of the delta-sigma ADC.

Abstract: A process of treating waste solvent acetonitrile streams which contain at least one water extractable impurity such as isopropyl acetate to remove substantially all of the impurity by distilling the waste solvent acetonitrile in the presence of water for a time sufficient to allow the water extractable impurity to be extractively distilled from the acetonitrile. In preferred embodiments of the present invention the feed may contain either a mixture of waste solvent acetonitrile and crude acetonitrile or crude acetonitrile free of hydrogen cyanide by itself.

Abstract: A fuel-conditioning device for removing moisture from fuel includes two replaceable fuel-conditioning cartridges. The cartridges are alternately put in use by selectively positioning a valve actuator. A marking system for the fuel-conditioning cartridges and the valve actuator identifies which cartridge is in use and which can be serviced. A cartridge can be replaced while maintaining a continuous flow of fuel.

Abstract: A system for electrically connecting electrical components. The system comprises a first ribbon cable; a connector cap including a track area adapted to operably engage the ribbon cable, and a connector base having a first ribbon cable receptacle area adapted to electrically engage the first ribbon cable. The connector cap includes a first pair of posts spaced a first distance apart and a second pair of posts spaced a second distance apart, the second distance differing from the first distance. The connector base includes a second receptacle area adapted to electrically engage a second ribbon cable, electrical interconnection wiring electrically interconnecting the first and second receptacles, and a receptacle operably positioned and sized to receive the first pair of posts and sized to interfere with the second pair of posts.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for an amplifier with wide output voltage swing are disclosed. The amplifier may include multiple output stages, each associated with a distinct supply voltage. Each output stage may contribute current to the output of the amplifier over a range of amplifier output voltages and these ranges may overlap. Each output stage may contribute current until the amplifier output voltage reaches the supply voltage associated with that output stage. The amplifier output may be as great as the largest supply voltage minus a drop equal to Rdson for an output transistor multiplied by the output current. In a CMOS implementation, this voltage drop may be approximately 0.15V. When the amplifier output voltage is close to the supply voltage associated with an output stage, both that output stage and the output stage associated with the next highest supply voltage may contribute to the amplifier output.