Abstract: A heat management system for air-cooled engines suitable to power yard care equipment or vehicles. The system may generally comprise an engine, a blower configured to blow ambient cooling air across the engine, and an exhaust system comprising an exhaust header and a muffler. The exhaust header has an inlet end which receives heated exhaust gas from the engine and an outlet end fluidly coupled to the muffler. An air control baffle is configured to redirect a portion of the cooling air from the blower towards the exhaust header and the muffler to enhance cooling the exhaust system. The system may further include an outermost protective shield exposed to equipment operators and an inner heat barrier or shield located between the muffler and protective shield. The system is designed to ameliorate both radiative and convective sources of heat transfer to maintain the protective shield at temperatures below established industry standards.

Abstract: A heat management system for air-cooled engines suitable to power yard care equipment or vehicles. The system may generally comprise an engine, a blower configured to blow ambient cooling air across the engine, and an exhaust system comprising an exhaust header and a muffler. The exhaust header has an inlet end which receives heated exhaust gas from the engine and an outlet end fluidly coupled to the muffler. An air control baffle is configured to redirect a portion of the cooling air from the blower towards the exhaust header and the muffler to enhance cooling the exhaust system. The system may further include an outermost protective shield exposed to equipment operators and an inner heat barrier or shield located between the muffler and protective shield. The system is designed to ameliorate both radiative and convective sources of heat transfer to maintain the protective shield at temperatures below established industry standards.

Abstract: Engine systems which are safer and have reduced risk of fire are desirable in a wide range of equipment markets. The present engine systems utilize sensors and control systems which reduce the probability of fire or spark exiting the exhaust system. The sensors may monitor a wide range of conditions within the exhaust system to alter the operating parameters of the engine to prevent ignition of objects adjacent the engine system during use. By altering operation of the engine, conditions such as exhaust temperature or unburned fuel can be controlled to minimize risk of undesired ignition.

Abstract: A method for performing a subterranean operation that can include operations of engaging a tubular with a pipe handler, calculating, via a processor, an internal volume of the tubular, determining, via the processor, a number of pump strokes required to fill at least a percentage of the internal volume with fluid, pumping the fluid to the tubular by running a pump the number of pump strokes, and filling the internal volume of the tubular to at least the percentage of the internal volume with the fluid.

Abstract: An electrically operated smoking device configured to receive a smoking article is provided, including: a housing defining a cavity configured to at least partially receive the smoking article; and an image sensor configured to detect indicia on the smoking article, the image sensor being disposed on a periphery of the cavity and including a light source, an image detector, and a plurality of microlenses held in a support structure, the plurality of microlenses being configured to provide a mosaic of inverted images on the image detector. A smoking system is also provided.

Abstract: A heat management system for air-cooled engines suitable to power yard care equipment or vehicles. The system may generally comprise an engine, a blower configured to blow ambient cooling air across the engine, and an exhaust system comprising an exhaust header and a muffler. The exhaust header has an inlet end which receives heated exhaust gas from the engine and an outlet end fluidly coupled to the muffler. An air control baffle is configured to redirect a portion of the cooling air from the blower towards the exhaust header and the muffler to enhance cooling the exhaust system. The system may further include an outermost protective shield exposed to equipment operators and an inner heat barrier or shield located between the muffler and protective shield. The system is designed to ameliorate both radiative and convective sources of heat transfer to maintain the protective shield at temperatures below established industry standards.

Abstract: There is provided an electrically operated smoking device configured to receive a smoking article, the device including a housing defining a cavity configured to at least partially receive the smoking article; and a sensing system configured to detect indicia on the smoking article, the sensing system being disposed on a periphery of the cavity and including a light source, an image detector, and a plurality of microlenses disposed on the image detector.

Abstract: An electrically operated smoking device configured to receive a smoking article is provided, the device including: a housing defining a cavity to at least partially receive the smoking article; and a sensing system to detect indicia on the smoking article, the sensing system being positioned on a periphery of the cavity and including a light source, a mirror, an imaging lens, and an image detector, the mirror being positioned on an internal surface of the cavity adjacent to the light source and the imaging lens.

Abstract: There is provided an electrically operated smoking device configured to receive a smoking article, including a housing defining a cavity configured to at least partially receive a smoking article; and a sensing system configured to detect indicia on the smoking article, the sensing system being disposed on a periphery of the cavity and including a light source, a mirror, an imaging lens, and an image detector, the mirror being disposed on an internal surface of the cavity adjacent to the light source and the imaging lens.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing a fuel cap includes a gas manifold, a fuel cap connector, a base, and a removable cover. The gas manifold is configured to provide a bidirectional flow path through the fuel cap. The fuel cap connector is integrated with or coupled to the gas manifold, and the fuel cap connector is configured to connect the fuel cap to the gas manifold. The base is configured to support the gas manifold and provide at least a first gas input to the gas manifold and through the fuel cap via the bidirectional flow path. The removable cover is configured to be removably connected to the gas manifold and provide at least a second gas input to the gas manifold and through the fuel cap via the bidirectional flow path.

Abstract: There is provided an electrically operated smoking device configured to receive a smoking article, the device including a housing defining a cavity configured to at least partially receive the smoking article; and a sensing system configured to detect indicia on the smoking article, the sensing system being disposed on a periphery of the cavity and including a light source, an image detector, and a plurality of microlenses disposed on the image detector.

Abstract: There is provided an electrically operated smoking device configured to receive a smoking article, including a housing defining a cavity configured to at least partially receive a smoking article; and a sensing system configured to detect indicia on the smoking article, the sensing system being disposed on a periphery of the cavity and including a light source, a mirror, an imaging lens, and an image detector, the mirror being disposed on an internal surface of the cavity adjacent to the light source and the imaging lens.

Abstract: A positioning system, in particular, six-dimensions positioning system of a shadow sensor with respect to a constellation of light sources is provided. The sensor can be a shadow sensor and has a mask and a 2D imager. By recording the shadow of the mask cast by each light source on the imager, and by properly multiplexing the light sources, the system can compute the 6D position of the shadow sensor with respect to the constellation of light sources. This computation is based, in part, on treating the shadow of the mask cast on the imager as the equivalent of the projection of light in a pinhole or projective camera. In one embodiment, the system is applied in a surgical domain. In another embodiment, the system is rapidly deployed.

Abstract: Calibration device for a diagnostic device, the diagnostic device comprising a digital imaging device arranged to record an image of at least one sample container containing at least one biological sample. According to the invention, methods include of digitally imaging said at least one sample container, thus obtaining a first image processing the first image, thus obtaining a second image printing a representation of the second image onto a substrate by means of a printing method, thus obtaining the calibration device, wherein said processing of the first image comprises applying at least one transfer function to the first image. The invention further relates to a corresponding calibration device, and a method of calibrating a diagnostic device by means of the calibration device.

Abstract: A positioning system, in particular, positioning in six dimensions of a sensor with respect to an assembly composed of a multitude of LEDs, is provided. The sensor is a shadow sensor and has a mask and a 2D imager. By recording the shadow of the mask cast by each LED on the imager, and by properly multiplexing the LEDs, the system can compute the 6D position of the LED assembly with respect to the shadow sensor. This computation is based, in part, on treating the shadow of the mask cast on the imager as the equivalent of the projection of light in a pinhole camera.

Abstract: Body electrode system including a set of standalone electrodes units for measuring physiological signals of a body part and/or electrically stimulate a body part. A connecting garment provides electrical connection between each standalone unit of the set. Each unit of the set is individually positionable at a specific chosen position onto the body to be sensed and/or stimulated. The garment is electrically connectable to said units, preferably after placement of said set onto the body.

Abstract: A security device for the identification or authentication of valuable goods is described, including a thin material layer (22, 26) presenting a stochastic pattern including micro/submicrostructures, where the latter are arranged in blobs (2) each of which presents a complexity factor Cx = L 2 4 ? ? · A , where L is the perimeter of the blob and A its area, and wherein blobs having a Cx value greater than or equal to 2 cover at least 5%, preferably at least 15%, of the device surface. According to a preferred embodiment, the material layer may include a film including at least a first and a second polymers arranged respectively within a first and a second phases defining the micro/submicrostructures. Preferred processes of fabrication are also disclosed, as well as a method for securing a valuable good based on such a security device.

Abstract: A positioning system, in particular, six-dimensions positioning system of a shadow sensor with respect to a constellation of light sources is provided. The sensor can be a shadow sensor and has a mask and a 2D imager. By recording the shadow of the mask cast by each light source on the imager, and by properly multiplexing the light sources, the system can compute the 6D position of the shadow sensor with respect to the constellation of light sources. This computation is based, in part, on treating the shadow of the mask cast on the imager as the equivalent of the projection of light in a pinhole or projective camera. In one embodiment, the system is applied in a surgical domain. In another embodiment, the system is rapidly deployed.

Abstract: A positioning system, in particular, positioning in six dimensions of a sensor with respect to an assembly composed of a multitude of LEDs, is provided. The sensor is a shadow sensor and has a mask and a 2D imager. By recording the shadow of the mask cast by each LED on the imager, and by properly multiplexing the LEDs, the system can compute the 6D position of the LED assembly with respect to the shadow sensor. This computation is based, in part, on treating the shadow of the mask cast on the imager as the equivalent of the projection of light in a pinhole camera.

Abstract: A position measurement system for determining 2D displacement or position of a mobile element with respect to a reference frame, including: a point light; an optical mask having transparent and opaque areas defining a repetitive pattern on at least one side of its surfaces; an imager, fixed to a mobile element, including integrated electronic circuits allowing detection, computing and analyzing of a shadow projected by the optical mask. The position measurement system includes an optical diffuser plate between the light source and the mask. The imager, mask and diffuser plate form an assembly so as to produce a light spot created by the scattering of the incident light beam emitted by the light source on the diffuser plate. The mask positioned between the diffuser plate and imager, produces a shadow on the imager, allowing to compute and provide 2D position of the mobile element relative to the fixed reference frame.