Abstract: A handheld vacuum cleaner includes a dirt separator. The dirt separator includes a chamber having an inlet through which dirt-laden fluid enters and an outlet through which cleansed fluid exits the chamber. A disc located at the outlet rotates about a rotational axis and comprises holes through which the cleansed fluid passes.

Abstract: An optical stack for sensing a presence of an analyte is provided. The optical stack includes a sensor material. The sensor material includes a first optical response including a first optical property having a second value in response to an excitation signal including the first optical property having a first value different from the second value. The first optical response includes a second optical property sensitive to the presence of the analyte. The optical stack includes a first optical film disposed proximate the sensor material and includes a third optical property having respective third and fourth values in response to the respective first and second values of the first optical property. The third value is different from the fourth value by at least a factor of 2.

Abstract: A component comprising a first part and a second part, wherein a third part is positioned between the first and second parts, wherein: (iv) said first part comprises a polymeric material (A) which comprises a repeat unit of formula (XI) wherein t1, and w1 independently represent 0 or 1 and v1 represents 0, 1 or 2; (v) said second part comprises a polymeric material (B) which comprises a repeat unit of formula (XI) wherein t1, and w1 independently represent 0 or 1 and v1 represents 0, 1 or 2; and (vi) said third part comprises a polymeric material (C) which comprises a polymer having a repeat unit of formula —O-Ph-O-Ph-CO-Ph-??I and a repeat unit of formula —O-Ph-Ph-O-Ph-CO-Ph-??II wherein Ph represents a phenylene moiety.

Abstract: A reinforcement sheet has a composite layer including fibres and a polymer A and a coating layer including polymer B, each polymer having at least 65 mol % of a repeat unit of formula: wherein for each polymer A and B, t1, and w1 independently represent 0 or 1 and v1 represents 0, 1 or 2. A method of forming the reinforcement sheet is also disclosed, in addition to a method for forming an article comprising a laminate of the reinforcement sheets and the article comprising such a laminate. The repeat unit may be ether-ether-ketone.

Abstract: A component comprising a first part and a second part, wherein a third part is positioned between the first and second parts, wherein: (iv) said first part comprises a polymeric material (A) which comprises a repeat unit of formula (XI) wherein t1, and w1 independently represent 0 or 1 and v1 represents 0, 1 or 2; (v) said second part comprises a polymeric material (B) which comprises a repeat unit of formula (XI) wherein t1, and w1 independently represent 0 or 1 and v1 represents 0, 1 or 2; and (vi) said third part comprises a polymeric material (C) which comprises a polymer having a repeat unit of formula —O-Ph-O-Ph-CO-Ph-??I and a repeat unit of formula —O-Ph-Ph-O-Ph-CO-Ph-??II wherein Ph represents a phenylene moiety.

Abstract: A polymeric material includes phenyl moieties, ketone moieties and ether moieties in the polymeric backbone of said polymeric material, wherein the difference between the nucleation temperature (Tn) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of said polymeric material is greater than 23° C.

Abstract: A polymeric material includes phenyl moieties, ketone moieties and ether moieties in the polymeric backbone of said polymeric material, wherein the difference between the nucleation temperature (Tn) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of said polymeric material is greater than 23° C.

Abstract: A polymeric material includes phenyl moieties, ketone moieties and ether moieties in the polymeric backbone of said polymeric material, wherein the difference between the nucleation temperature (Tn) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of said polymeric material is greater than 23° C.

Abstract: Polyaryletherketones and a method for producing the same are described wherein, for a given melt viscosity, the melt flow index is higher than expected. Such polymers may be used in situations where relative high flow is desirable.

Abstract: A system and method for storing data, the system having one or more storage devices, caches data from a sender into a first random-access structure located in a first cache level, caches data from the first cache level into a log structure located in a second cache level, and stores data from CL into a second random-access structure located in a storage level, wherein CL is the first cache level or the second cache level. In further embodiments of the invention, the second cache level caches in the log structure parity data for the data cached in the log structure. In a still further embodiment of the invention, the storage level stores in the second random-access structure parity data for the data stored in the second random-access structure.

Abstract: A system and method for cleaning a log structure, the log structure including one or more segments, each segment including live data, orders the one or more segments into a hot list according to age, with the youngest segment at the beginning of the hot list and the oldest segment at the end of the hot list, the youngest segment being the most recently used segment and the oldest segment being the least recently used segment, pushes one or more of the oldest segments in the hot list to a cleaning matrix, the cleaning matrix grouping segments according to age and percent of live data in the segment, traverses the cleaning matrix looking for a segment, determines whether enough live data has been found to write a complete segment, sequentially repeats the previous two processes until enough live data has been found to write a complete segment, reads data from the one or more found segments, and writes the read live data into an unused segment.

Abstract: A system and method for expanding a log structure in a disk array, the disk array being expanded from M-width to N-width, the disk array including a storage level, the log structure including one or more sequential used segments, the one or more sequential used segments including live data, locates one or more sequential used segments, writes live data from the one or more located segments to the storage level, enlarges the size of the one or more located segments from M-width to N-width, and places the one or more enlarged segments on a first free segment list.

Abstract: A gel profile article comprising a multi-filament yarn carrier carrying an elongate body of gel which encloses more than 50%, preferably more than 75%, more preferably substantially all, of the perimeter of the carrier as viewed in transverse cross-section, wherein the carrier is at least partly composed of synthetic polymeric material, preferably polyester filaments (e.g. polyethylene terephthalate) or spun yarns of a co-mingled blend of polyacrylonitrile staple fibres and polyamide staple fibres ("baby wool"), the proportion of polyamide preferably being at least 30%, more preferably 40-60%, by weight of the said spun yarn(s). The gel is preferably melt-coated, especially pressure-extruded, around the carrier at a gel temperature less than the softening temperature of at least a component of the carrier, and the selected class of carrier materials enhances the processability, cohesion, and appearance of the resulting profile.