Abstract: A vehicle includes a storage compartment, a belt conveyor located in the storage compartment and having a slat belt supported by a pair of rollers, and a shelf operatively coupled to the slat belt and configured to move between a lower stowed position within the storage compartment and an upper deployed position extending outward from the storage compartment.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a storage compartment, a belt conveyor located in the storage compartment and having a slat belt supported by a pair of rollers, and a shelf operatively coupled to the slat belt and configured to move between a lower stowed position within the storage compartment and an upper deployed position extending outward from the storage compartment.

Abstract: A parts fabrication apparatus has a staging fixture that is configured to position at least a portion of a molded plastic assembly that has a connective runner portion with at least one molded part extended from the connective runner portion by a severable gate portion. A laser source is energizable to direct toward the severable gate portion, from a laser output aperture positioned beneath the staged plastic assembly, a coherent light beam having sufficient energy for melting the gate portion and releasing the molded part along a drop path. A support is disposed to deflect the drop path of at least a portion of the released molded part in a direction away from the coherent light beam.

Abstract: A content dispensing package apparatus is provided. The content dispensing package apparatus can be configured to elevate contents for immediate dispensing to the user, the user able to raise the contents from outside an outer container. For example, a container for dispensing edible contents can include a first container portion, a second container portion configured to move between a first position and a second position, and a tab coupled to the second container portion. The tab can be accessible from the outside of the container and used to move the second container.

Abstract: A content dispensing package apparatus is provided. The content dispensing package apparatus can be configured to elevate contents for immediate dispensing to the user, the user able to raise the contents from outside an outer container. For example, a container for dispensing edible contents can include a first container portion, a second container portion configured to move between a first position and a second position, and a tab coupled to the second container portion. The tab can be accessible from the outside of the container and used to move the second container.

Abstract: A parts fabrication apparatus has a staging fixture that is configured to position at least a portion of a molded plastic assembly that has a connective runner portion with at least one molded part extended from the connective runner portion by a severable gate portion. A laser source is energizable to direct toward the severable gate portion, from a laser output aperture positioned beneath the staged plastic assembly, a coherent light beam having sufficient energy for melting the gate portion and releasing the molded part along a drop path. A support is disposed to deflect the drop path of at least a portion of the released molded part in a direction away from the coherent light beam.

Abstract: Solid electrolytes have a favorable combination of properties such as high conductivity, high transference number, optimum processability, and low brittleness. A composite electrolyte includes some amount of a class of network polymer electrolytes with high transference number and high room temperature conductivity, and an additional polymeric component to contribute mechanical integrity and/or processability. The solid electrolytes can include a network polymer having linked nodes composed of a tetrahedral arylborate composition and a linear polymer combined with the network polymer as a composite. The solid electrolytes can be used in thin films and in solid-state batteries.

Abstract: A content dispensing package apparatus is provided. The content dispensing package apparatus can be configured to elevate contents for immediate dispensing to the user, the user able to raise the contents from outside an outer container. For example, a container for dispensing edible contents can include a first container portion, a second container portion configured to move between a first position and a second position, and a tab coupled to the second container portion. The tab can be accessible from the outside of the container and used to move the second container.

Abstract: A content dispensing package apparatus is provided. The content dispensing package apparatus can be configured to elevate contents for immediate dispensing to the user, the user able to raise the contents from outside an outer container. For example, a container for dispensing edible contents can include a first container portion, a second container portion configured to move between a first position and a second position, and a tab coupled to the second container portion. The tab can be accessible from the outside of the container and used to move the second container.

Abstract: Laminated composite structures, or laminates, may utilize vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs), also termed a nanotube forest, as a layer/ply within a fiber/matrix laminate used as a protection system to mitigate and eliminate penetrating and blunt force damage posterior as a result of impacts with an unknown velocity on the laminated structure. Moreover, a composite may incorporate vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) for ballistic and low velocity impact protection.

Abstract: Solid electrolytes have a favorable combination of properties such as high conductivity, high transference number, optimum processability, and low brittleness. A composite electrolyte includes some amount of a class of network polymer electrolytes with high transference number and high room temperature conductivity, and an additional polymeric component to contribute mechanical integrity and/or processability. The solid electrolytes can include a network polymer having linked nodes composed of a tetrahedral arylborate composition and a linear polymer combined with the network polymer as a composite. The solid electrolytes can be used in thin films and in solid-state batteries.

Abstract: A content dispensing package apparatus is provided. The content dispensing package apparatus can be configured to elevate contents for immediate dispensing to the user, the user able to raise the contents from outside an outer container. For example, a container for dispensing edible contents can include a first container portion and a second container portion that is configured to move between a first position and a second position. By one approach the apparatus includes a tab coupled to the second container portion. The tab can be accessible from the outside of the container and used to move the second container.

Abstract: A system and method for securing personal articles, including a lockable enclosure, an image acquisition device disposed to capture an image of an interior of the lockable enclosure, a storage element configured to store the image, a data transmission element configured to transfer the image to a network, and a controller configured to grant access to the image only upon fulfillment of a predetermined condition, where the image acquisition device, the storage element, the data transmission element, and the controller are disposed in communication with one another and with the network.

Abstract: Laminated composite structures, or laminates, may utilize vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs), also termed a nanotube forest, as a layer/ply within a fiber/matrix laminate used as a protection system to mitigate and eliminate penetrating and blunt force damage posterior as a result of impacts with an unknown velocity on the laminated structure. Moreover, a composite may incorporate vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) for ballistic and low velocity impact protection.

Abstract: A content dispensing package apparatus is provided. The content dispensing package apparatus can be configured to elevate contents for immediate dispensing to the user, the user able to raise the contents from outside an outer container. For example, a container for dispensing edible contents can include a first container portion, a second container portion configured to move between a first position and a second position, and a tab coupled to the second container portion. The tab can be accessible from the outside of the container and used to move the second container.

Abstract: A content dispensing package apparatus configured to elevate contents for immediate dispensing to the user, the user able to raise the contents from outside an outer container.

Abstract: Methods and systems for push channel authentication for mobile computing devices are provided. A mobile application may be supplied, and an indication that the application has been loaded on the mobile computing device may be processed. A device identifier received from the mobile computing device through a network may be processed, and corresponding information may be stored in an authentication information repository. An authentication key and an authentication token may be generated and sent separately to the mobile computing device through a push channel and through a second channel. That the mobile application has received the authentication key and the authentication token may be verified. A notification that the mobile application has received the authentication key and the authentication token may be processed. The notification may be validated at least in part with the information corresponding to the device identifier in the authentication information repository.

Abstract: A pressure vessel for a variable sheave pulley includes a tubular portion which is fitted to a cylindrical extension on the sheave. A groove within the cylindrical extension retains an O-ring seal, which is compressed by the tubular portion during assembly and retained in that compressed state during operation. The tubular portion has an end which is crimped into an annular groove formed between the cylindrical portion of the pulley and an inner wall or radial wall of the pulley. The O-ring seal is unaffected by the crimping operation or by pulley deflection, which occurs during power transmission.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for calibrating an adaptive ranging A/D converter wherein a noise having known statistical properties is deliberately superposed on the reference DC signals used to calibrate the gain-ranging amplifier. The amplitude of the noise is chosen to be greater than at least one, and preferably several, least significant digits of the A/D converter at the lowest anticipated gain, yet preferably less than half the counting range of the converter at the highest gain. The reference DC signal levels are chosen to be spaced from the minimum and maximum count of the A/D at the lowest and highest anticipated gains by better than half the noise amplitude. A time average of a series of measurements of the noisy reference signals as amplified and digitized by the system are obtained.

Abstract: A toy house, such as a toy country store, formed by a plurality of interlocking panels which do not rely on separate pins, clips or the like for attachment together. The invention relies on plastic fittings on the panels to hold the panel edges together, and in addition bendable joints between panel sections are provided. The panel members in any case have slits or slots and/or joining edges so that the panels fit together to yield a toy house such as a toy store, or other structures. The panels may be of laminated cardboard with plastic covered surfaces and plastic fittings and may be printed with legends and pictures. Plastic films of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, mylar, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, nylon and acrylic resin may be used.