Abstract: An energy absorbing tether assembly for use with a child safety seat of the type having a pair of spaced apart slots in a shell.

Abstract: An energy absorbing tether assembly for use with a child safety seat of the type having a pair of spaced apart slots in a shell.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically optimizing the amount of an automatic refill of a shared virtual postage meter is disclosed. A desired time between refills is predetermined based on the capacity of the system to perform refills, the time required to process a refill, and the impact of performing a refill on the overall performance of the system. A refill amount candidate is then determined based on the predetermined desired time between refills, the elapsed time since the last refill and the amount of the last refill. The determined refill amount candidate is then further validated to insure that it falls within a range of a predetermined minimum and maximum refill amounts. Once validated, the refill amount candidate is the optimal refill amount, and the shared virtual postage meter is refilled accordingly.

Abstract: An escape hatch assembly mountable in an opening in the roof of a vehicle which includes a frame member having an egress opening defined by upstanding side walls that are arranged to extend upwardly into the opening in the roof of the vehicle, a flange member extending outwardly from the lower portion of said frame member and arranged to abut the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle; and attachment elements for securing the flange member to the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle. A method of installing the escape hatch upwardly through an opening the roof of a vehicle is also disclosed.

Abstract: An escape hatch assembly mountable in an opening in the roof of a vehicle which includes a frame member having an egress opening defined by upstanding side walls that are arranged to extend upwardly into the opening in the roof of the vehicle, a flange member extending outwardly from the lower portion of said frame member and arranged to abut the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle; and attachment elements for securing the flange member to the inside surface of the roof of the vehicle. A method of installing the escape hatch upwardly through an opening the roof of a vehicle is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically optimizing the amount of an automatic refill of a shared virtual postage meter is disclosed. A desired time between refills is predetermined based on the capacity of the system to perform refills, the time required to process a refill, and the impact of performing a refill on the overall performance of the system. A refill amount candidate is then determined based on the predetermined desired time between refills, the elapsed time since the last refill and the amount of the last refill. The determined refill amount candidate is then further validated to insure that it falls within a range of a predetermined minimum and maximum refill amounts. Once validated, the refill amount candidate is the optimal refill amount, and the shared virtual postage meter is refilled accordingly.

Abstract: A method of constructing a fully dense metal part or a metal mold half for matin with another mold half to form a mold for casting multiple parts. Steps include placing a pattern having critical pattern surfaces in a flask having an open end. The critical pattern surfaces face upward. Other steps involve covering the critical pattern surfaces with a concentrated heat reversible gel solution added to the flask, and cooling the gel solution to form an elastic solid gel mold. Further steps include removing the flask and the pattern from the elastic gel mold, and casting a ceramic mold around the solid gel mold. In other steps the gel mold is liquified for removal from the ceramic mold and the ceramic mold is inverted so that its critical ceramic surfaces face upward.

Abstract: A mold useful for injection molding, comprising: a porous network of metal and oxidized metal and a cured epoxy resin dispersed in the porous network. The mold can be prepared by a process comprising the sequential steps of (a) forming a mixture of a metal powder and a polymer binder; (b) heating the mixture at a temperature in the range from about 100.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C. to remove a majority of the polymer binder from the mixture; (c) heating the mixture resulting from step (b) at a temperature greater than about 300.degree. C. and less than the melting point of the metal in the presence of oxygen to oxidize at least a portion of the metal to form a self-adhering porous network of metal and oxidized metal; (d) contacting the self-adhering porous network with an epoxy resin to fill at least a portion of the porous network with epoxy resin; and (e) curing the body resulting from step (d) to form the mold. The shape of the mold can be performed by selective laser sintering of the mixture.

Abstract: A method of constructing a fully dense metal part or a metal mold half for mating with another mold half to form a mold for casting multiple parts. Steps include placing a pattern in a tubular mold base, casting a ceramic member onto critical surfaces of the pattern, removing the pattern from the mold base, covering the critical surfaces transferred to the ceramic member with a powdered metal having a melting temperature greater than that of an infiltration metal, placing a quantity of an infiltration metal over the powdered metal, placing the tubular mold base in a furnace at a temperature sufficient to melt the infiltration metal without melting the powdered metal, and removing the ceramic member from the first open end of the tubular mold base to expose the critical surfaces. The quantity of the infiltration metal is sufficient to fill voids between the particles of the powdered metal when the infiltration metal is melted, thereby generating a fully dense metal part.

Abstract: A sensor (18) for measuring the rheology of materials is provided, comprising a deformable beam (20) simply supported at two locations (21 and 22). The beam has supported and unsupported portions, with the unsupported portion (28) extending beyond the supported portion. A strain gauge (23) is attached to the supported portion of the deformable beam (20), and measures the induced strain on the beam when the unsupported portion (28) is deflected by a moving material.