Abstract: A device used to prevent water from exiting a shower or bathtub that consists of a guard, a curved channel, and a pair of hooks to rest onto the lip of a bathtub.

Abstract: Coating compositions, methods of applying the coating compositions, and articles incorporating the coating compositions are provided. The coating compositions are useful for coating a variety of substrates to improve the appearance and printability of the substrates. The coating compositions incorporate pigment system, a binder, and an optical brightener. The binder incorporates a polyvinyl alcohol polymer. The coating compositions exhibit whitening and reversion characteristics superior to coating compositions incorporating conventional components while providing cost advantages over conventional coatings.

Abstract: A method of providing an oil and grease resistant coating to a substrate includes the steps of (i) providing a substrate with a first and second surface to a coating station; (ii) curtain coating at least one surface of the substrate with an aqueous polyvinyl alcohol composition to form a nascent polyvinyl alcohol barrier film thereon; and (iii) drying the nascent polyvinyl alcohol barrier film to form a polyvinyl alcohol oil and grease barrier coating; wherein the polyvinyl alcohol composition as well as the substrate and coating and drying conditions are selected such that the polyvinyl alcohol oil and grease barrier coating is substantially pinhole free, characterized in that the barrier coating exhibits a TAPPI 559 kit test rating of at least 7.

Abstract: Coating compositions, methods of applying the coating compositions, and articles incorporating the coating compositions are provided. The coating compositions are useful for coating a variety of substrates to improve the appearance and printability of the substrates. The coating compositions incorporate pigment system, a binder, and a thickener system. The thickener system incorporates a polyvinyl alcohol polymer and a boron containing compound such as boric acid. The coating compositions exhibit viscosity characteristics equal or superior to coating compositions incorporating conventional thickeners while providing cost advantages over conventional thickener systems.

Abstract: A transformer has a primary winding made from a first conducting trace formed on a first multilayer printed circuit board, and a secondary winding made from a second conducting trace formed on a second multilayer printed circuit board. The primary winding is magnetically coupled to the secondary winding. The windings are etched as traces in copper layers of the PC boards as spirals. The spiral of one copper layer is connected to the spiral of a different copper layer by a via, or vias, formed through the insulating layer of the PC board. The vias are drilled, cleaned, and plated with conducting material, for example copper. By using multiple layers, and by connecting spiral windings of each layer to the windings of the next layer by use of vias, any number of turns can be built into a primary winding, or into a secondary winding.

Abstract: The invention is novel amino-substituted hypocrellins, such as demethoxylated hypocrellin B, that are sonosensitizers, and their therapeutic use.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an improved method of preparing aqueous coating compositions including an optical brightener and a polyvinyl alcohol resin, the improvement being directed to cooking a slurry to dissolve the polyvinyl alcohol resin subsequent to the addition of optical brightener and polyvinyl alcohol resin to the slurry at a temperature above about 160° F. for at least about 5 minutes. The invention enables preparation with lower water content without compromising brightness and color. Particularly preferred is the addition of dry resin and/or dry brightener to provide high solids mixtures. Another aspect of the invention is a dry, particulate blend of brightener and PVOH resin.

Abstract: A method of preparing an optical brightener/PVOH aqueous concentrate comprising the sequential steps of: (a) providing an aqueous brightener composition including water and optical brightener active ingredient, wherein the optical brightener active ingredient is typically present in the aqueous brightener composition in an amount of from about 10% to about 25%; (b) admixing a polyvinyl alcohol resin with said aqueous optical brightener composition in an amount of about 1 part of dry polyvinyl alcohol resin per 0.5 to 10 wet parts of aqueous brightener composition to provide a nascent aqueous concentrate of polyvinyl alcohol resin and optical brightener; and (c) cooking the aqueous concentrate to dissolve the solids typically at a temperature of from about 175° F. to about 210° F. for a time of from about 10 minutes to about 120 minutes to provide a cooked brightener/polyvinyl alcohol concentrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are coated substrates and methods for producing coated substrates. At least one surface of the substrates is coated with a polyvinyl alcohol polymer to render the substrates resistant to oil and grease. The polyvinyl alcohol polymer is coated at levels of a least 7 g/m2, based upon area of the coated surface of the substrate. Alternatively, the coating concentration is at least 5 wt. % of the weight of the substrate. The coatings may be applied by curtain coating or means and comprise at least one layer of a polyvinyl alcohol solution.

Abstract: The invention is a transformer having one winding, for example the secondary, built as tracings in a first multilayer PC board. The primary windings are made as a separate second PC board. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the second PC board containing the primary windings is attached to the first PC board by attachment tabs built into the second PC board, and the tabs are soldered to receiving attachment pads of the first PC board. In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the first PC board has various other components mounted thereon. For example, the secondary windings of a power transformer along with the power supply circuits are all built into a first single PC board. In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the windings are etched as traces in copper layers of the PC boards as spirals. The spiral of one copper layer is connected to the spiral of a different copper layer by a via, or vias, formed through the insulating layer of the PC board.

Abstract: An inductor for a computer power supply module is provided. The inductor includes a one-piece, single turn winding formed of a material for conducting heat and electrical current. The material having at least about five times the amount of electrically conductive material necessary for conducting electrical current.

Abstract: A power supply module for a computer is provided. The module includes a multilayer pc board, heat generating electrical components disposed on the board, logic elements disposed on the board and a heat sink. The module also includes thermal conducting structure disposed coupled to the pc board and thermally coupled to the heat sink and to the heat generating electrical components for transferring heat from the heat generating electrical components to the heat sink.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for jitter and load insensitive charge transfer are disclosed. A quantity of charge is transferred to or from a load during a transfer interval, wherein the charge transferred is significantly insensitive to load characteristics and variations in the transfer interval. A succession of identical or different quantities of charge may be transferred to or from the load during successive transfer intervals. The charge transfer circuit may be employed in mixed switched/continuous-time circuit configurations, and in particular may be used as a unipolar or bipolar one-bit digital-to-analog converter to provide quantized feedback in a sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter circuit configuration.

Abstract: A multi-stage, low-offset, fast-recovery, comparator system and method for: reducing the input offset voltage of the zeroing amplifier by a factor essentially equal to gain of the zeroing amplifier; reducing the input offset voltage of the combined main and zeroing amplifiers by a factor essentially equal to the product of the gains of the main and zeroing amplifiers; and amplifying the input signal to the amplification stage in accordance with the gain of the main amplifier to generate an amplified high-resolution signal.

Abstract: A transmission includes a guideway (20) formed between a pair of tracks (22, 24) extending in a closed loop (21), and an endless train of rolling elements (X, Y, B) extending along the closed loop and rolling on the tracks and on each other. An input shaft (10) turns an input wheel (32) that carries a plurality of input wheel rollers (34), with the input wheel rollers pushing selected ones (X) of the rolling elements to move the train of rolling elements along the closed loop. An output shaft (12) is turned by an output wheel (40), with the output wheel carrying a plurality of output wheel rollers (36) that are in the path of the rolling elements to be moved by them. The rolling elements include rollers (X, Y) that roll along one track (24) and balls (B) lying between the rollers and rolling on the other track (22) and against the rollers.

Abstract: Plastic-lined fittings and their method of manufacture. The fittings are capable of being joined without flanges to plastic-lined piping systems. The fittings feature a zero tolerance fit between the liner and the metal portion of the fitting, and an outward expansion of the portion of the liner which extends past the metal portion.

Abstract: A mounting system for supporting an engine within a chassis frame of an automotive vehicle includes a chassis bracket adapted for attachment to a chassis frame and having a mounting pin extending laterally into an engine compartment, and an engine bracket adapted for attachment to an engine, with the engine bracket having a first portion for attaching the engine bracket to an engine and a second portion having at least one generally horizontal surface for engaging the chassis bracket slidably along an axis parallel to a horizontal plane defined by the chassis frame.

Abstract: A support foundation for a building structure includes a channel member at the upper end of a support post for receiving a joist. The support post is adjustable in length by a nut on a threaded rod which slides within a sleeve the lower end of which is welded to a base pad of the foundation. The sleeve is supported by inclined struts. The base is domed with a concave lower surface which maintains soil underneath the surface to inhibit tilting or sinking.

Abstract: A self-venting package adapted for microwave cooking having first and second package walls made from thermoplastic polymeric film where the second package wall is joined at a portion of its perimeter to the first package wall thus creating a product receiving chamber defined between the first and second walls. The chamber is adapted to receive a product to be heated and the package is sealed by at least one multilayered seal strip having a thermoplastic polymeric film construction that is placed between the first and second package walls at an edge of the package. The seal strip consists of a first outer layer, positioned adjacent to an inner surface of the first package wall and adapted to be sealed thereto, a second outer layer, positioned adjacent to an inner surface of the second package wall and adapted to be sealed thereto, and a tie layer disposed between the first and the second outer layers where the tie layer is peelably bonded to the first outer layer and the second outer layer.