Abstract: Beverage or food containers made from sheet material, and methods of making such containers. Such container comprises a layer of paperboard and an expanded foam layer applied as a coating in a liquid carrier, and affixed to a paperboard base layer. The expanded foam has a remote surface preferably defined by intermingled peaks and valleys. The sheet material can include a protective cover layer overlying the remote surface. Such cover layer can comprise paper, plastic film, or foamed thermoplastic. The sheet material can include a heat seal layer, with the heat seal layer overlying, and in surface-to-surface contact with, the foam layer such that the foam layer is between the paperboard and the heat seal layer. Preferred composition for the foam layer is PVDC or AMM.

Abstract: A method of operating a mooring system exemplified by active mooring devices having attractive attachment elements fixable to a ship's hull. Each mooring device includes active means for moving the attachment element vertically and in the horizontal plane, and the method involves repositioning the attachment elements in a stepwise manner. The mooring devices also includes a seal for a vaccum attachment element.

Abstract: A mask (stencil) having cells (openings) is disposed on a surface of a heater stage, and is then filled (printed) with solder paste. Then a substrate is assembled to the opposite side of the mask. Then the solder paste is reflowed. This may be done partially inverted. Then the mask is separated from the substrate, either before or after cooling. Solder balls are thus formed on the substrate, which may be a semiconductor wafer. A biased chuck urges the substrate into intimate contact with the mask. A method for printing the mask with solder paste is described. Methods of forming high aspect ratio solder bumps (including balls and reflowable interconnect structures) are described.

Abstract: A central piece of a drill guide is formed by a pair of opposing boards having elongated slots formed therein. A second pair of boards similar to the first set also has elongated angulated slots formed therein. The slots of the two boards are fitted into each other to form a rectangular angulated channel there between. This channel provides a guide for angulated drilling of a work piece. A board forming a foot piece is removably fitted onto the boards to form a foot rest for holding the guide in position while drilling.

Abstract: A method for forming solder bumps on an electronic component. Providing a transfer substrate having a plurality of solder balls, disposing the transfer substrate on the surface of the electronic component, heating to reflow the solder balls onto the electronic component; and removing the sacrificial substrate. The transfer substrate may comprise a sacrificial film and a metal layer patterned with a mask which is used to form solder balls on the transfer substrate. Or, the transfer substrate may comprise a sheet of silicone rubber having solder balls embedded at least partially in the sheet. A method of aligning a part being bumped with a transfer substrate, using a shuttle mechanism and an alignment film is disclosed.

Abstract: A mooring robot releasably fastening a first moveable object (S) to a second nearby object. The first moveable object (S) moves in response to the application of external forces to the object (S). The robot operates to restore the first object (S) to a predetermined operating position. With the particular reference to the mooring of a vessel (S), the mooring robot has attractive attachment element(s) fixable to a ship's hull and includes a movement unit with active three-degree-of-freedom translation, for controlling the position of the attachment element(s). The movement includes a restorative means associated with each of the two degrees of translation freedom in the horizontal plane which provide a restorative force acting to return the attachment element(s) to the predetermined operating system.

Abstract: An insulating beverage or food container or sleeve is produced with a foam layer disposed on an inner surface of a paper stock. A polymer shrink film layer is arranged in a position along an inside surface of the beverage container. The foam layer is sandwiched between the polymer shrink film layer and the paper stock and decreases the energy transfer between the beverage and the user's hands allowing the user to hold onto the container for an extended period of time without causing user discomfort or pain. The polymer shrink film layer is produced from a shrink film polymer having a percent shrink in the range of 30% or less, and more particularly a percent shrink range of 5 to 10%.

Abstract: An insulating beverage or food container or sleeve is produced with a foam layer disposed on an inner surface of a paper stock. A polymer shrink film layer is arranged in a position along an inside surface of the beverage container. The foam layer is sandwiched between the polymer shrink film layer and the paper stock and decreases the energy transfer between the beverage and the user's hands allowing the user to hold onto the container for an extended period of time without causing user discomfort or pain. The polymer shrink film layer is produced from a shrink film polymer having a percent shrink in the range of 30% or less, and more particularly a percent shrink range of 5 to 10%.

Abstract: An insulating beverage cup or sleeve is produced with a foam layer disposed on an inner surface of a food or beverage paper stock. A polyethylene film layer is arranged in a position between a paper stock layer and an inside surface of the beverage container. The foam layer decreases the energy transfer between the beverage and the user's hands allowing the user to hold onto the cup for an extended period of time without causing user discomfort or pain, e.g. greatly extends the hold time of the paper cup. The exterior surface of the beverage cup remains highly printable and predisposed to high quality graphics both before and after cup manufacture.

Abstract: A mooring robot (100, 200) for releasably fastening a first moveable object (S) to a second nearby object (51) is disclosed. The first moveable object (S) moves in response to the application of external forces to the object (S). The robot (100, 200) operates to restore the first object (S) to a predetermined operating position. With particular reference to the mooring of a vessel (S), the mooring robot (100, 200) has attractive attachment element(s) (1) fixable to a ship's hull and includes a movement unit (10, 210), with active three-degree-of-freedom translation, for controlling the position of the attachment element(s) (1). The movement unit (10, 210) includes a restorative means associated with each of the two degrees of translational freedom in the horizontal plane which provide a restorative force acting to return the attachment element(s) (1) to the predetermined operating position.

Abstract: A mask (stencil) having cells (openings) is disposed on a surface of a heater stage, and is then filled (printed) with solder paste. Then a substrate is assembled to the opposite side of the mask. Then the solder paste is reflowed. This may be done partially inverted. Then the mask is separated from the substrate, either before or after cooling. Solder balls are thus formed on the substrate, which may be a semiconductor wafer. A biased chuck urges the substrate into intimate contact with the mask. A method for printing the mask with solder paste is described. Methods of forming high aspect ratio solder bumps (including balls and reflowable interconnect structures) are described.

Abstract: A mask (stencil) having cells (openings) is disposed on a surface of a heater stage, and is then then filled (printed) with solder paste. Then a substrate is assembled to the opposite side of the mask. Then the solder paste is reflowed. This may be done partially inverted. Then the mask is separated from the substrate, either before or after cooling. Solder balls are thus formed on the substrate, which may be a semiconductor wafer. A method for printing the mask with solder paste is described.

Abstract: An insulating beverage or food container or sleeve is produced with a foam layer disposed on an inner surface of a paper stock. A polymer shrink film layer is arranged in a position along an inside surface of the beverage container. The foam layer is sandwiched between the polymer shrink film layer and the paper stock and decreases the energy transfer between the beverage and the user's hands allowing the user to hold onto the container for an extended period of time without causing user discomfort or pain. The polymer shrink film layer is produced from a shrink film polymer having a percent shrink in the range of 30 % or less, and more particularly a percent shrink range of 5 to 10%.

Abstract: An insulating beverage cup or sleeve is produced with a foam layer disposed on an inner surface of a food or beverage paper stock. A polyethylene film layer is arranged in a position between a paper stock layer and an inside surface of the beverage container. The foam layer decreases the energy transfer between the beverage and the user's hands allowing the user to hold onto the cup for an extended period of time without causing user discomfort or pain, e.g. greatly extends the hold time of the paper cup. The exterior surface of the beverage cup remains highly printable and predisposed to high quality graphics both before and after cup manufacture.

Abstract: Beverage or food containers made from sheet material, and methods of making such containers. Such container comprises a layer of paperboard and an expanded foam layer applied as a coating in a liquid carrier, and affixed to a paperboard base layer. The expanded foam has a remote surface preferably defined by intermingled peaks and valleys. The sheet material can include a protective cover layer overlying the remote surface. Such cover layer can comprise paper, plastic film, or foamed thermoplastic. The sheet material can include a heat seal layer, with the heat seal layer overlying, and in surface-to-surface contact with, the foam layer such that the foam layer is between the paperboard and the heat seal layer. Preferred composition for the foam layer is PVDC or AMM.

Abstract: Beverage and food containers made from sheet material, and methods of making such containers. Such container comprises a layer of paperboard and an expanded foam layer applied as a coating in a liquid carrier, and affixed to a paperboard substrate layer. The expanded foam has a remote surface preferably defined by intermingled peaks and valleys. The sheet material can include a protective cover layer overlying the remote surface. Such cover layer can comprise paper, plastic film, or foamed thermoplastic. The sheet material can include a heat seal layer, with the paperboard substrate layer between the heat seal layer and the expanded foam layer. Preferred composition for the foam layer is PVDC or AMM.

Abstract: Sheet material especially for beverage and food containers, and methods of making. The sheet material comprises a layer of paperboard and expanded, preferably non-syntactic, foam layer applied as an unexpanded coating, preferably about 1-76 microns thick, in a liquid carrier, to the paperboard layer. The expanded foam has a remote surface preferably defined by intermingled randomly-spaced peaks and valleys. The coating is preferably sufficiently continuous to prevent a user's finger from touching the substrate, and sufficiently insulating that a person can hold a container of 100 degree C. liquid, having sidewalls made from the sheet material, without discomfort. A cover layer can overlie the foam. The substrate can include a heat seal layer, with the paperboard between the heat seal layer and the expanded foam layer; or with the foam layer between the heat seal layer and the paperboard. Preferred composition for the foam layer is PVDC or AMM.

Abstract: An insulating beverage cup is produced with an air containing film layer disposed on an inner surface of a food or beverage paper stock. The air containing film layer is extruded or laminated to the paper stock. An additional extruded or laminated layer is applied between the air containing film layer and paper stock layer. The insulating coating layer decreases the energy transfer between the beverage and the user's hands allowing the user to hold onto the cup for an extended period of time without causing user discomfort or pain. The exterior surface of the beverage cup remains highly printable and predisposed to high quality graphics.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of control of a switch (102) in an electrical power converter (100) using pulse width modulation to regulate output voltage (112) and current The method allows precise output voltage regulation to be achieved whilst accurately controlling the proportion of load-current supplied by multiple modules connected in parallel. A ramped waveform (408), consisting of a component representing the instantaneous current and a component representing the input voltage applied since the switch (102) switched on in the current PWM cycle, is compared with an error signal (406) to determine the width of each PWM pulse.

Abstract: A mask (stencil) having cells (openings) is disposed on a surface of a heater stage, and is then then filled (printed) with solder paste. Then a substrate is assembled to the opposite side of the mask. Then the solder paste is reflowed. This may be done partially inverted. Then the mask is separated from the substrate, either before or after cooling. Solder balls are thus formed on the substrate, which may be a semiconductor wafer. A method for printing the mask with solder paste is described.