Abstract: An improvement in a vehicle ramp facilitates easy storage and quick and simple conversion from a stored, collapsed state to an open, in-use state. The vehicle ramp comprises a pair of plate members pivotally coupled together along one side of each respective plate member which, being supported by a frame arrangement articulately connected to the plate members, permits the plate members to be selectively pivoted with respect to one another to either form a functional raised vehicle ramp configuration, or form a storable, collapsed, low profile configuration in which the two plate members lie in substantially a common plane, along with the articulated frame arrangement.

Abstract: A creeper to be used by a person during inspection, servicing, or repair of vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, trailers, and the like. The creeper-consists of two components that can be connected together by two fastener arrangements involving pre-stressed springs. One component has ends that can be inserted into corresponding ends of the other component. Compressed springs of the fastener arrangements are located at each connection to lock the connected ends together in a secure, but releasable manner. Each of the two components has four wheels and thus can also be individually used for special purposes. This construction makes it very easy to connect the two components together into one complete creeper for use and then to disconnect again into two components for easy, efficient, and cost saving storage or transportation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a nano particle generator that can reduce power consumption, can be miniaturized, and can generate nano particles having various different material characteristics at the same time. The nano particle generator includes a body, a heating unit to heat a material received in the body such that the material is evaporated, a channel extending through the body such that a fluid to condense the evaporated material flows along the channel, and an insulating member to prevent heat generated from the heating unit from being transmitted to the body. The heating unit heats the material while the heating unit is in direct contact with the material, and the heating unit is in point or line contact with the insulating member. The heating unit has a plurality of locating parts formed therein such that the material is located in the locating parts.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a refrigerator which comprises an icemaker. In the refrigerator, a printed circuit board for ice-making positioned in the icemaker shares some components with a main printed circuit board, or the main printed circuit board receives some components used for the icemaker in place of the printed circuit board for ice-making, thereby providing various effects. The refrigerator comprises an icemaker to perform automatic ice-making operation of freezing water supplied from an outside to produce ice cubes, a first printed circuit board to control a freezing operation for a freezing compartment of the refrigerator, and a power supply unit shared by the icemaker and the first printed circuit board.

Abstract: A Model Predictive Control System, particularly useful in controlling gas turbine engines, formulates a problem of controlling the engine to achieve a desired dynamic response as a solution to a quadratic programming problem. The Model Predictive Control System also includes a quadratic programming problem solver solving the quadratic programming problem in real time using an interior point algorithm that searches for an optimal solution.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner which is hygienically usable. The vacuum cleaner includes a main body forming the external appearance thereof, a blowing fan for generating a suction force to allow external air including foreign substances to be sucked into the main body, and a nano particle generator for generating nano particles and dispersing the generated nano particles into the air sucked thereinto. Since the foreign substances accumulated in a main body of the vacuum cleaner or the air discharged to the outside are sterilized by means of the sterilizing power of the nano particles generated from the nano particle generator, the vacuum cleaner is hygienically usable.

Abstract: A nanoparticle generator includes a heating unit directly heating material for generating nanoparticles. Due to the structure of the heating unit directly heating the material, a space between the heating unit and the material is eliminated such that a volume of the nanoparticle generator is remarkably reduced and the nanoparticle generator is easily minimized.

Abstract: Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) are generally discussed herein with particular discussions extended to fuel-cell-based UPSs used in conjunction with DC power supplies for improved operating efficiencies. With a wide voltage DC power supply, a DC-AC inverter may be omitted from the UPS and power from a back up power source, such as a battery or a fuel cell, may be applied directly to the DC power supply without performing two power conversions. The end result is a more efficient system capable of longer operating time.

Abstract: A trigger device for staplers includes a trigger pivotably connected to a stapler body and an opening is defined through the trigger. A cam device is rotatably engaged with the trigger and a lower end of an activating member is connected to the cam device so that the activating member is moved up and down by rotating the cam device. A safety plate is slidably connected to the stapler body and a distal end of the safety plate is located in correspondence with the opening of the trigger.