Abstract: The present invention provides a prosthetic heart valve device that has a frame, and a leaflet assembly having a plurality of leaflets that are secured to the frame. The frame is defined by an annular body and has three spaced-apart commissure regions, each commissure region having a commissure post extending from a proximal outflow end of the frame. A first clipping arm and a second clipping arm extend from opposite sides of each commissure post, each clipping arm extending from each commissure post at an obtuse angle with respect to each commissure post. Each clipping arm has a free end with a tip provided at the free end. The body has a first diameter at a location where the tips of the clipping arms are located, and the tips of the clipping arms extend away from define a second diameter, with the second diameter being greater than or equal to the first diameter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a prosthetic heart valve device that has a frame, and a leaflet assembly having a plurality of leaflets that are secured to the frame. The frame is defined by an annular body and has three spaced-apart commissure regions, each commissure region having a commissure post extending from a proximal outflow end of the frame. A first clipping arm and a second clipping arm extend from opposite sides of each commissure post, each clipping arm extending from each commissure post at an obtuse angle with respect to each commissure post. Each clipping arm has a free end with a tip provided at the free end. The body has a first diameter at a location where the tips of the clipping arms are located, and the tips of the clipping arms extend away from define a second diameter, with the second diameter being greater than or equal to the first diameter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a prosthetic heart valve device that has a frame, and a leaflet assembly having a plurality of leaflets that are secured to the frame. The frame is defined by an annular body and has three spaced-apart commissure regions, each commissure region having a commissure post extending from a proximal outflow end of the frame. A first clipping arm and a second clipping arm extend from opposite sides of each commissure post, each clipping arm extending from each commissure post at an obtuse angle with respect to each commissure post. Each clipping arm has a free end with a tip provided at the free end. The body has a first diameter at a location where the tips of the clipping arms are located, and the tips of the clipping arms extend away from define a second diameter, with the second diameter being greater than or equal to the first diameter.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating large composite fuselages or other vehicle structures, in which the composite structure is fabricated and cured as on a tool, segmented and removed from the tool without disassembling the tool, and then reassembled off the tool to reform the large structure. The tool includes mandrel segments attached to a substructure. The attachments may be moveable to accommodate differential expansion and contraction during curing, and the tool may be rotatable to facilitate access. A composite material of resin and synthetic fibers is applied over the mandrel segments to fabricate the structure on the tool. Caul plates are secured over the composite material, and the composite material is cured on the tool. The resulting structure is cut into part segments which are then removed from the tool, and the part segments are joined to reassemble the large composite structure off the tool.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating large composite fuselages or other vehicle structures, in which the composite structure is fabricated and cured as on a tool, segmented and removed from the tool without disassembling the tool, and then reassembled off the tool to reform the large structure. The tool includes mandrel segments attached to a substructure. The attachments may be moveable to accommodate differential expansion and contraction during curing, and the tool may be rotatable to facilitate access. A composite material of resin and synthetic fibers is applied over the mandrel segments to fabricate the structure on the tool. Caul plates are secured over the composite material, and the composite material is cured on the tool. The resulting structure is cut into part segments which are then removed from the tool, and the part segments are joined to reassemble the large composite structure off the tool.

Abstract: An aircraft panel assembly including a panel, a number of open-ended composite stringers, and a number of stringer end caps. Each stringer end cap covers an open end of one of the stringers and includes a base, a vertically extending wall, and an overlap section. The base is bonded to the panel near the open end of the stringer. The vertically extending wall is angled upward from the base and includes an upper periphery. The overlap section extends horizontally from the upper periphery and is bonded to the stringer near the open end of the stringer.

Abstract: A panel structure, for an aircraft fuselage or wing, including a skin component and a stringer sheet component which are independently constructed and then subsequently integrated to form the panel structure. The skin is constructed and consolidated in a first process, and the stringer sheet is constructed and consolidated in a second process which is independent of the first process. Because the skin and stringer sheet are independently constructed, they may, with less compromise, be constructed with the same or different materials, using the same or different techniques, and at the same or different times to optimize each component. The stringers form cavities, and the cavities may be unfilled or filled with material. The skin and stringer sheet are bonded together in a third process, which is independent of the first and second processes. A frame component may be attached to the panel structure in a fourth process.

Abstract: A method of operating a voltage regulator including a source voltage rail and a plurality of output voltage rails, the method including: converting a source voltage on the source voltage rail to a respective output voltage on each output voltage rail; selecting an output voltage rail; comparing the output voltage on the selected output voltage rail to a reference voltage for the selected output voltage rail; and if the output voltage of the selected output voltage rail is less than the reference voltage for the selected output voltage rail, controlling the voltage regulator to increase the output voltage on the selected output voltage rail, wherein the frequency at which an output voltage rail is selected is dependent upon the rate at which the voltage regulator has previously increased the output voltage on that output voltage rail.

Abstract: A method of operating a voltage regulator including a source voltage rail and a plurality of output voltage rails, the method including: converting a source voltage on the source voltage rail to a respective output voltage on each output voltage rail; selecting an output voltage rail; comparing the output voltage on the selected output voltage rail to a reference voltage for the selected output voltage rail; and if the output voltage of the selected output voltage rail is less than the reference voltage for the selected output voltage rail, controlling the voltage regulator to increase the output voltage on the selected output voltage rail, wherein the frequency at which an output voltage rail is selected is dependent upon the rate at which the voltage regulator has previously increased the output voltage on that output voltage rail.

Abstract: A frequency locked loop for generating a clock signal, comprising: a controllable oscillator configured to, in dependence on a control signal, generate an oscillator signal having an oscillator signal frequency; a frequency divider coupled to the controllable oscillator configured to reduce the oscillator signal frequency to form a divided oscillator signal frequency; and a frequency detector coupled to the frequency divider and configured to generate the control signal in dependence on a reference signal frequency; wherein the frequency divider comprises a first counter and a second counter, the first counter configured to be clocked by the oscillator signal and to produce a first counter output signal, and the second counter configured to be clocked by the first counter output signal.