Abstract: A system for laser-based medical use and laser-based oral surgery. The system includes an elongate handle having a proximal end and a distal end; a (e.g., disposable, selectively removable) functional element disposed at the distal end of the elongate handle; and an integral, soft coating material formed about, so as to cover, the functional element and the distal end of the elongate handle. In some implementations, the elongate handle includes a rigid (e.g., polycarbonate) portion and a soft (e.g., thermoplastic elastomer) portion for improving a user's grip of the elongate handle.

Abstract: This invention provides a locking seat cover securing system that includes a listing bead with a notch removed from the bead, and a stop clip with a nub in an inner surface of the stop clip. The notch is curved so as to maintain the structural integrity of the listing bead. The nub is sized, shaped, and located to correspond to the notch on the listing bead, so that the nub can engage within the listing bead when the listing bead is inserted into the notch. The engagement of the nub within the notch prevents the listing bead from sliding within the locking stop clip. The listing bead with the stop clip can be inserted into an upholstery clip within a foam seat, and the stop clip can abut the upholstery clip so that the listing bead cannot move relative to the upholstery clip.

Abstract: A listing bead for use in securing upholstery trim covers to upholstery clips embedded in a foam substrate that includes finger-friendly formations on its surface. The formation in an illustrative embodiment defines a flat top at the upper end of a neck that extends between the bead and the top. Illustratively, the top is formed in two outwardly bent L-shapes extending at right angles in opposing directions from the neck. The bead, neck and flat top define confronting halves, joined at the bottom edge, which encase a web that is constructed and arranged to be secured to the trim cover by adhesives, and/or welding stitching. The web illustratively includes punched and/or cut holes (tactile indicia) at predetermined intervals therealong that provide visual and tactile feedback to the installer on the approximate location of clips in the substrate during assembly.

Abstract: This invention provides a locking seat cover securing system that includes a listing bead with a notch removed from the bead, and a stop clip with a nub in an inner surface of the stop clip. The notch is curved so as to maintain the structural integrity of the listing bead. The nub is sized, shaped, and located to correspond to the notch on the listing bead, so that the nub can engage within the listing bead when the listing bead is inserted into the notch. The engagement of the nub within the notch prevents the listing bead from sliding within the locking stop clip. The listing bead with the stop clip can be inserted into an upholstery clip within a foam seat, and the stop clip can abut the upholstery clip so that the listing bead cannot move relative to the upholstery clip.

Abstract: A listing bead for use in securing upholstery trim covers to upholstery clips embedded in a foam substrate that includes finger-friendly formations on its surface. The formation in an illustrative embodiment defines a flat top at the upper end of a neck that extends between the bead and the top. Illustratively, the top is formed in two outwardly bent L-shapes extending at right angles in opposing directions from the neck. The bead, neck and flat top define confronting halves, joined at the bottom edge, which encase a web that is constructed and arranged to be secured to the trim cover by adhesives, and/or welding stitching. The web illustratively includes punched and/or cut holes (tactile indicia) at predetermined intervals therealong that provide visual and tactile feedback to the installer on the approximate location of clips in the substrate during assembly.

Abstract: A listing bead for use in securing upholstery trim covers to upholstery clips embedded in a foam substrate that includes finger-friendly formations on its surface. The formation in an illustrative embodiment defines a flat top at the upper end of a neck that extends between the bead and the top. Illustratively, the top is formed in two outwardly bent L-shapes extending at right angles in opposing directions from the neck. The bead, neck and flat top define confronting halves, joined at the bottom edge, which encase a web that is constructed and arranged to be secured to the trim cover by adhesives, welding or stitching. The web illustratively includes punched and/or cut holes (tactile indicia) at predetermined intervals therealong that provide visual and tactile feedback to the installer on the approximate location of clips in the substrate during assembly.

Abstract: A listing bead for use in securing upholstery trim covers to upholstery clips embedded in a foam substrate that includes finger-friendly formations on its surface. The formation in an illustrative embodiment defines a flat top at the upper end of a neck that extends between the bead and the top. Illustratively, the top is formed in two outwardly bent L-shapes extending at right angles in opposing directions from the neck. The bead, neck and flat top define confronting halves, joined at the bottom edge, which encase a web that is constructed and arranged to be secured to the trim cover by adhesives, welding or stitching. The web illustratively includes punched and/or cut holes (tactile indicia) at predetermined intervals therealong that provide visual and tactile feedback to the installer on the approximate location of clips in the substrate during assembly.

Abstract: A locking structure for the removable attachment of listing beads to structures comprising an upholstery clip that is provided with a clip base with attached counterpoised clip arm assemblies and a key assembly. The clip arm assemblies are constructed and arranged of legs and hooks and the key assembly is provided with a neck and a key. The clip arm assemblies have a narrow gap between the hooks to receive a listing and attached material. The upholstery clip removably engages with a hard anchor base that is attached to a rigid surface. The hard anchor base is provided with a receiving slot that is sized to removably receive and engage the key of the upholstery clip. The key assembly is inserted into the receiving slot and rotated through ninety degrees of motion to a locking position and is held in position by at least one detent.

Abstract: This invention provides a single or multi-ganged clip that can be grouped into a festooned arrangement. Each clip includes a base with opposing ends aligned in the direction of extension and transverse to an elongation direction for a connecting segment between ganged clip members. The base ends include opposing male and female connectors. The male connector is a cylinder with an axis that extends transverse to the direction of elongation and the female connector defines a conforming cylindrical inner diameter, which allows it to nest over the male cylinder. A gap opening at the far edge of the female connector provides clearance for the base that connects the male cylinder to the clip member base end. This gap is sized to allow a range of angular rotation of the male connector within the female connector. Clips can be dispensed in a continuous grouping/segment from a spool.

Abstract: This invention provides a single or multi-ganged clip that can be grouped into a festooned arrangement. Clips are grouped into a discrete assembly along a line of extension so that a handler can retrieve a grouping, separate one-clip-at-a-time, and apply the separated clip to an assembly structure. Each clip can include a base with opposing ends aligned in the direction of extension and transverse to an elongation direction for a connecting segment (if any) between ganged clip members. In one embodiment, these ends include opposing male and female connectors. The male connector is a cylinder with an axis extending transverse to the direction of elongation and the female connector defines a conforming cylindrical inner diameter, which allows it to nest over the male cylinder. An opening at the far edge of the female connector provides clearance for the base that connects the male cylinder to the clip member base end.

Abstract: A low-profile clip adapted to secure a listing bead to a foam substrate and is constructed from a material that affords resilience, durability, high resistance to a wide range of temperatures during field use and seat assembly and ease of bead installation with high pull-out strength. The clip includes a base and a pair of legs extending upwardly from the base to a top barb. In this embodiment, the legs each extend upwardly from the base at a first angle of approximately 80 to 85 degrees and therefrom to each of the respective barbs at a second angle, with respect to a plane parallel to the base of approximately 88 to 90 degrees. In this manner the clip exhibits high performance while defining an overall height from tops of the legs to a bottom of the base of approximately ten millimeters or less making the clip particularly desirable for use in modern, thinner foam substrates.

Abstract: This invention provides a single or multi-ganged clip that can be grouped into a festooned arrangement. That is, a plurality of clips are arranged together into a discrete assembly along a line of extension so that a human or automated handler can retrieve a grouping, separate one-clip-at-a-time from the grouping, and apply the separated clip to a mold cavity or other assembly structure. Each clip can include a base with opposing ends aligned in the direction of extension and transverse to an elongation direction for a connecting segment (if any) between ganged clip members. In an illustrative embodiment, these base ends include opposing male and female connectors. In this embodiment the male connector is a cylinder with an axis that extends transverse to the direction of elongation and the female connector defines a conforming cylindrical inner diameter, which allows it to nest over the male cylinder.

Abstract: A collapsible serving tray that is stiff and flat when open and reduced in size and compact when folded. The tray is designed to be folded up into a compact size that is about one-quarter of the fully deployed size of the tray. One embodiment of the tray includes a perimeter edge that is ninety degrees to the flat serving surface when the tray is fully deployed.

Abstract: This invention provides a low-profile clip adapted to secure a listing bead to a foam substrate. Such a low-profile clip employs a novel geometry and is constructed from a material that affords resilience, durability, high resistance to a wide range of temperatures during field use and seat assembly and ease of bead installation with high pull-out strength. In an illustrative embodiment, the clip includes a base and a pair of legs extending upwardly from the base and defining therebetween a central region constructed and arrangement to capture the listing bead. Each of the legs extends upwardly from the base to a top barb that defines a gap narrower than central region. In this embodiment, the legs each extend upwardly from the base at a first angle of approximately 80 to 85 degrees and therefrom to each of the respective barbs at a second angle, with respect to a plane parallel to the base of approximately 88 to 90 degrees.

Abstract: This invention provides a single or multi-ganged clip that can be grouped into a festooned arrangement. That is, a plurality of clips are arranged together into a discrete assembly along a line of extension so that a human or automated handler can retrieve a grouping, separate one-clip-at-a-time from the grouping, and apply the separated clip to a mold cavity or other assembly structure. Each clip can include a base with opposing ends aligned in the direction of extension and transverse to an elongation direction for a connecting segment (if any) between ganged clip members. In an illustrative embodiment, these base ends include opposing male and female connectors. In this embodiment the male connector is a cylinder with an axis that extends transverse to the direction of elongation and the female connector defines a conforming cylindrical inner diameter, which allows it to nest over the male cylinder.

Abstract: This invention provides a clip for joining tubular members that employs living hinges that are part of a unitary clip including jaws and a base spring. The jaws are joined by a center living hinge and each jaw is also joined along a surface opposite its gripping surface to a cantilevered end of the base spring by a side-mounted living hinge. When the clip jaws are in a fully open orientation, with the center hinge at a maximum distance away from the base spring, the user biases the central hinge toward the base spring. The base spring ends are thereby biased away from each other, and after the jaws rotate about their living hinges through a position of maximum spread in the base spring ends, the spring ends rebound, forcing the jaws downward toward the base spring, and into a fully closed orientation. The clip includes a base that can be an anchor that embeds in foam of an upholstery cushion, or can have an adhesive that allows it to be secured to a structure, in the case of a pipe or conduit clamp.

Abstract: A collapsible serving tray that is stiff and flat when open and reduced in size and compact when folded. The tray is designed to be folded up into a compact size that is about one-quarter of the fully deployed size of the tray. One embodiment of the tray includes a perimeter edge that is ninety degrees to the flat serving surface when the tray is fully deployed.