Abstract: An environmental sensor. The environmental sensor includes: a MEMS element; an ASIC element electrically connected to the MEMS element by means of at least two bonding wires. T ASIC element includes an evaluation circuit designed to ascertain and evaluate a parasitic capacitance between the at least two bonding wires connected to pads of the MEMS element, in order to detect a material deposit on the environmental sensor.

Abstract: A power module includes a first board comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and perpendicular to a bottom surface of the power module for mounting the power module to a circuit board, the bottom surface providing electrical connections to the circuit board, a first charge pump assembly mounted on the first surface, the first charge pump assembly comprising a first power conversion circuit configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage, and a first vertical heatsink structure arranged adjacent to the first charge pump assembly, the first charge pump assembly being placed between the first vertical heatsink structure and the first board.

Abstract: Embodiments of disclosure may provide a method for forming an aluminum-containing nitride ceramic matrix composite, comprising heating a green body, an aluminum-containing composition, ammonia and a mineralizer composition in a sealable container to a temperature between about 400 degrees Celsius and about 800 degrees Celsius and a pressure between about 10 MPa and about 1000 MPa, to form an aluminum-containing nitride ceramic matrix composite characterized by a phosphor-to-aluminum nitride (AlN) ratio, by volume, between about 1% and about 99%, by a porosity between about 1% and about 50%, and by a thermal conductivity between about 1 watt per meter-Kelvin and about 320 watts per meter-Kelvin. The green body comprises a phosphor powder comprising at least one phosphor composition, wherein the phosphor powder particles are characterized by a D50 diameter between about 100 nanometers and about 500 micrometers, and the green body has a porosity between about 10% and about 80%.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments may include a power converter package including devices stacked vertically. The devices include a first device and a second device. The first device includes a first switched capacitor circuit and provides first bottom bonding contacts on one surface and first top bonding contacts on another surface opposite the one surface, and one or more through-vias connecting corresponding one or more of the first bottom bonding contacts and corresponding one or more of the first top bonding contacts. The second device includes a second switched capacitor circuit and provides second bottom bonding contacts on one surface to be electrically connected to the first top bonding contacts of the first device. Input terminals of the first and switched capacitor circuits are electrically connected to each other, and output terminals of the first and switched capacitor circuits are electrically connected to each other.

Abstract: Plastic container comprises a container body having a bottom portion, a sidewall portion and an upper portion, with a chamber defined therein. The bottom portion includes a support surface and a variable dynamic base portion extending inward from the support surface configured to deflect in response to a pressure differential between the chamber and an exterior of the container body. The sidewall portion includes a lower circumferential groove ring and an upper circumferential groove ring, wherein the lower circumferential groove ring has a width W1 and depth D1 in side view, and an outer radius R1 in plan view, the ratio of the width W1 to the outer radius R1 ranges between 0.07 to 0.22, and the ratio of the depth D1 to the outer radius R1 ranges between 0.04 to 0.18. The upper circumferential groove ring has a width W2 and depth D2 in side view, and an outer radius R2 in plan view, the ratio of the width W2 to the outer radius R2 ranges between 0.07 to 0.

Abstract: Fabricating a capacitor includes forming conduits in a porous layer of material. The porous layer of material has particles that each include a dielectric on a core. The formation of the conduits causes a portion of the dielectric to convert from a first phase to a second phase. The method also includes removing at least a portion of the second phase of the dielectric from the porous layer of material.

Abstract: A flood protection container device for protecting furniture or personal items from flood waters includes a shaped sack defining a storage area to receive an article of furniture or personal items. The shaped sack is comprised of a deformable material thereby facilitating the shaped sack to be folded for storage when the shaped sack is not being employed. The shaped sack is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to protect the article of furniture or personal items from flood waters. A plurality of adhesive strips is each applied to a respective one of the lid panels of the shaped sack. Each of the plurality of adhesive strips adheres to the shaped sack and a respective one of the plurality of strips to adhere to a respective one of the pair of lid panels thereby retaining the pair of lid panels in the closed position.

Abstract: Exemplary methods of coating a metal-containing component are described. The methods are developed to increase corrosion resistance and improve coating adhesion to a metal substrate. The methods include forming a bonding layer on a metal substrate, where the bonding layer includes an oxide of a metal in the metal substrate. The coating methods further include depositing a stress buffer layer on the bonding layer, where the stress buffer layer is characterized by a stress buffer layer coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is less than a metal substrate CTE and a bonding layer CTE. The coating methods also include depositing an environmental barrier layer on the stress buffer layer, where a ratio of the metal substrate CTE to an environmental barrier layer CTE is greater than or about 20:1, and where the environmental barrier layer includes silicon oxide. The metal-containing components may be used in fabrication equipment for electronic devices.

Abstract: Some embodiments described herein are directed to a lid for beverage container having a lid body, a closure, and a seal member. The lid body has a spout defining a first drinking opening and a second drinking opening through the lid body and a latch. The closure is rotatably coupled to the lid body and configured to rotate between a closed position in which the closure covers the lid body and an open position in which the closure does not cover the lid body. The seal member is coupled to the closure and configured to seal around an outer surface of a rim of the spout when the closure is in the closed position. The latch is configured to engage with the closure to retain the closure in the closed position.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for the identification of parkable areas. In one instance, observations of parked vehicles may be identified from logged data. The observations may be used to determine whether a sub-portion of an edge of a roadgraph corresponds to a parkable area. In some examples, the edge may define a drivable area in the roadgraph. In addition, map information is generated based on the determination of whether the sub-portion of the edge corresponds to the parkable area.

Abstract: The present invention provides a locking device for containers, such as waste containers. The locking device comprises a rolling member. When the locking device is in its upright position, the rolling member blocks the locking device from being able to rotate to an open position. When the locking device is tilted, the rolling member rolls to its release position which allows the locking device to rotate to the open position. The locking device also include a manual release mechanism for a user to manually place the rolling member into the release position, so that he/she can manually open the locking device when it is in the upright position.

Abstract: ABSTRACT: An instrument for processing droplets in a microfluidic system. The instrument captures a time sequence of images of a droplet as it passes through a channel in a microfluidic system. The instrument also processes each image of the sequence of images using a convolutional neural network to count a number of cells or other entities visible in each image the droplet. This involves processing the count of the number of cells or other entities visible in each image of the droplet to determine an estimated number of cells or other entities in the droplet. The instrument controls a microfluidic process performed on the droplet, e.g. droplet dispensing, responsive to the estimated number of cells or other entities in the droplet. The instrument uses the changing orientation and disposition of droplet contents in combination with machine learning to improve monoclonality assurance.

Abstract: A palletizing system includes one or more palletizers. A database is configured to maintain a stacking pattern library containing multiple stacking patterns for the palletizers. A computer is operatively connected to the database. The computer is configured to automatically select a stacking pattern for a selected one of the palletizers. In other words, the computer is configured to change the stacking pattern of one of the palletizers without changing the other palletizers. The database is configured to maintain unique palletizer identifiers used for identifying individual palletizers to promote expandability.

Abstract: Various embodiments of an electrical component and a method of forming such electrical component are disclosed. The electrical component includes a substrate and one or more corrosion-resistant vias Each of the one or more corrosion-resistant vias includes one or more sidewalls formed by the substrate an interface layer disposed on at least a portion of the one or more sidewalls, and gold alloy bonded to the interface layer.

Abstract: Interlayers for use with laminates and laminates are provided that may be used in a variety of different applications, such as windows for vehicles and buildings, impact resistance devices, such as bulletproof glass and others, decorative films for windows, walls or doors, window tinting, colored or mirrored glass, window films and the like. An interlayer comprises an adhesive film having a monolithic structure comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The film comprises one or more functional elements disposed within its monolithic structure and has a thickness of at least about 0.015 inches. The interlayer is a single TPU layer that includes both adhesive and functional properties, which allows the interlayer to be attached to one or more outer transparent layers in a laminate assembly that is particularly useful in, for example, applications requiring solar control functionality, such as windows that absorb or reflect heat, IR and/or UV light and the like.

Abstract: A battery pack for a lift device includes a housing, battery cells, a resistor, a conductive element, and a member. The resistor is electrically coupled with a positive terminal of the battery cells. The conductive element is configured to transition between an open state in which a discharge path is not defined between the positive terminal of the battery cells and a negative terminal or a ground, and a closed state in which the discharge path is defined. The member is disposed at the opening and accessible from an exterior of the housing. The member is manually transitionable by a technician between a first state in which the conductive element is in the open state, and a second state in which the conductive element is driven into the closed state such that the battery cells discharge remaining electrical energy via the discharge path.

Abstract: A snowmobile includes a frame, a driver seat supported by the frame, a left footrest and a right footrest, a rear suspension assembly connected to the frame, an endless track supported by the rear suspension assembly, a motor supported by the frame and operatively connected to the endless track, a drive shaft operatively connected to the endless track, and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connecting the drive shaft to the endless track. The CVT comprises a drive pulley operatively connected to the motor, a driven pulley mounted to the driven shaft, a belt operatively connecting the drive pulley to the driven pulley, and a CVT housing having a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a peripheral wall defining together an internal volume of the CVT housing, enclosing the drive pulley, the driven pulley and the belt. The CVT housing defines an air inlet and an air outlet.

Abstract: Devices and systems for increasing the gain and/or offering multiple antenna frequencies while conserving space on the antenna are provided. According to various aspects of the technology, panels with antenna elements are stacked to create a MIMO antenna array with more antenna elements while conserving space. In some aspects, the antenna elements are the same size and produce the same frequency while their physical configuration increases the gain of the antenna. In alternative aspects, the antenna elements are different sizes and produces different frequencies such that the antenna offers a greater variety or bandwidth of frequencies while conserving physical space on the antenna (i.e., maximizing a total quantity of antenna elements associated with the antenna). Using an antenna system and device with an increased quantity of antenna elements increases one or more of the system capacity, data rates, reliability, gain, coverage range, and the like.

Abstract: An aircraft may include a control lever movable along a lever path and configured to control a system of the aircraft, and a selectively engageable detent feature configured to inhibit travel of the control lever and operable in a disengaged configuration in which the control lever is movable along the lever path without restriction by the selectively engageable detent feature, and an engaged configuration in which the selectively engageable detent feature inhibits travel of the control lever at a particular location along the lever path.

Abstract: A mounting device configured to attach an elongated article to a substrate includes a base portion and an attachment portion extending from the base portion. The attachment portion is configured to be received within an opening in the substrate and has a plurality of branches extending therefrom. The mounting device also includes a cap portion that is spaced apart from the base portion and defining an aperture in which the attachment portion is received. The plurality of branches engage the aperture and are configured to inhibit removal of the attachment portion from the aperture. The mounting device further includes a plurality of legs extending between the base portion and the cap portion that is configured to retain the elongated article between the base portion and the cap portion. A method of attaching an elongated article to a substrate using such a mounting device is also described.