Abstract: A communications receiver earpiece, for example in a cellular handset, including a sound-generating device (210) located on an inner portion of a housing, a sound port (130) extending through the housing from the inner portion thereof and emerging from an outer portion of the housing. A sound-port cover (140) is disposed over the sound port (130) on the outer portion of the housing. A portion 144 of the sound-port cover extending outwardly of the sound port where the sound port emerges from the out portion of the housing.

Abstract: A method for creating spatially resolved audio signals for a listener (18) that are representative of one or more callers (12, 14, 16). A digital data signal (13) that represents the individual caller's voice (12) contains an embedded tag (24) that is identifiable with the individual caller. The digital data signal is transmitted from a sending device at the caller's location to a receiving device (30) at the listener's location. At the listener's receiving device, the tag is used to associate each of the digital data signals with a head related transfer functions (32) that are resident in the receiving device by consulting a lookup table. The digital data streams are then convolved (34) with the associated head related transfer function to form binaural digital signals, which are ported to two or more acoustic transducers (36) to create analog audio signals that appear to emanate from different spatial locations around the listener.

Abstract: Novel perfluoroalkyl-substituted mono-, di- and poly-amide compounds which are reaction products of a mono-, di- or polyamine of 60 to 2000 molecular weight with a perfluoroalkyl substituted unsaturated acid or its corresponding lower alkyl ester and optionally a non-fluorinated amino-reactive compound such as an acid, ester, anhydride, epichlorohydrin, isocyanate or urea, are useful as internally or externally applied paper sizes to impart oil and grease resistance to paper, and as oil proofing coatings on textiles, wood, masonry and the like, or as high-performance surface active agents.

Abstract: Novel perfluoroalkyl-substituted mono-, di- and poly-amide compounds which are reaction products of a mono-, di- or polyamine of 60 to 2000 molecular weight with a perfluoroalkyl substituted unsaturated acid or its corresponding lower alkyl ester and optionally a non-fluorinated amino-reactive compound such as an acid, ester, anhydride, epichlorohydrin, isocyanate or urea, are useful as internally or externally applied paper sizes to impart oil and grease resistance to paper, and as oil proofing coatings on textiles, wood, masonry and the like, or as high-performance surface active agents.

Abstract: Di-, tri- and poly-perfluoroalkyl-substituted alcohols and acids and derivatives thereof are described which are prepared from perfluoroalkyl iodides and di-, tri- or polyallyl alcohols or acids. These compounds contain two or more perfluoroalkyl-iodoalkyl or perfluoroalkyl-alkenyl groups and one or two alcohol or acid groups or derivatized alcohol or acid functions. They can be reacted with isocyanates, epoxy compounds, anhydrides, acids or acid derivatives to prepare a great variety of oil- and water-repellent compositions which are useful for oil- and water-repellent treatment of textiles, glass, paper, leather and other substrates.

Abstract: Di-, tri- and poly-perfluoroalkyl-substituted alcohols and acids and derivatives thereof are described which are prepared from perfluoroalkyl iodides and di-, tri- or polyallyl alcohols or acids. These compounds contain two or more perfluoroalkyl-iodoalkyl or perfluoroalkyl-alkenyl groups and one or two alcohol or acid groups or derivatized alcohol or acid functions. They can be reacted with isocyanates, epoxy compounds, anhydrides, acids or acid derivatives to prepare a great variety of oil- and water-repellent compositions which are useful for oil- and water-repellent treatment of textiles, glass, paper, leather and other substrates.

Abstract: Low viscosity, concentrated aqueous solutions of polysaccharide gums are prepared using certain water-soluble, anionic copolymers as viscosity reducers. These low viscosity polysaccharide gum solutions are used in the formulation of low viscosity polar-solvent fire-fighting foam compositions, especially "3.times.3" ("three by three") concentrates. The low viscosity compositions of the present invention are found to have exceptional stability as well as significantly improved fire-fighting performance.

Abstract: Di-, tri- and poly-perfluoroalkyl-substituted alcohols and acids and derivatives thereof are described which are prepared from perfluoroalkyl iodides and di-, tri- or polyallyl alcohols or acids. These compounds contain two or more perfluoroalkyl-iodoalkyl or perfluoroalkyl-alkenyl groups and one or two alcohol or acid groups or derivatized alcohol or acid functions. They can be reacted with isocyanates, epoxy compounds, anhydrides, acids or acid derivatives to prepare a great variety of oil- and water-repellent compositions which are useful for oil- and water-repellent treatment of textiles, glass, paper, leather and other substrates.

Abstract: New styrene-functional polysiloxanes are described which are obtained by reaction of aminoalkyl functional polysiloxanes with styrene isocyanates. The styrene functional urea polysiloxanes have improved hydrolytic stability and are useful, either by themselves or in combination with copolymerizable comonomers, in UV- or heat curable biocompatible and oxygen permeable coatings, films or shaped articles, especially in form of oxygen permeable contact lenses.

Abstract: Polyurethanes and polyesters are described which are the reaction products of an aromatic, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic diisocyanate, or of a diacid or diacid derivative respectively, with a diol containing a pendent UV-absorbing moiety, optionally also with one or more other diols or diamines. These UV-absorbing polycondensates can be applied to the surfaces of substrates by exhaustion methods or by spraying and act to protect polymers and dyes from degradation by UV radiation. They are therefore useful, either alone or in combination with other coating materials, for the treatment of wood, paper, textiles, leather or other surfaces which are exposed to degrading radiation.

Abstract: A contact lens is described which is synthesized by reaction in a mold of a isocyanate capped poly(dialkylsiloxane) prepolymer with a poly(dialkylsiloxane) di- or polyalkanol. The clear polyurethane rubber contact lens is readily made completely wettable by a transfer-grafting process or post-treatment and has a high oxygen permeability.

Abstract: Fluorine and/or silicone containing block copolymers are described which are the copolymerization product of mono; di- or trivinyl substituted poly(ethylene oxide) prepolymers (A) and fluoroalkyl-alkylene acrylates or methacrylates (B1), oligosiloxy-silyl alkyl-acrylates or methacrylates (B2), ether copolymerizable comonomers (C), and 0.1 to 10% of a di- or polyvinyl crosslinking comonomer (D) of 200 to 1000 molecular weight. The novel block copolymers are prepared in solution or bulk and form hydrogels, which are characterized by high oxygen permeability, resiliency, flexibility and wettability and are therefore well suited as biocompatible polymers, especially as contact lenses.

Abstract: Hard polymers with extremely high oxygen permeability are described, which consist of the copolymerization product of 1-15% by weight of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) bearing multiple polymerizable vinyl groups and having a number-average molecular weight M.sub.n of 1000-7000, 20-50% of an oligosiloxanylalkyl (meth)acrylate, 25-50% of an at least three fluorine atoms containing vinyl-monomer, 0-30% of copolymerizable monomers, which by themselves as homo- or copolymers have a Shore-D hardness of at least 85, 1-25% of polyvinyl-crosslinking monomer of 200-1000 molecular weight, and 0-15% of a watersoluble, copolymerizable monomer. The novel polymers combine a Shore-D hardness of 70-85 with an oxygen permeability of 40-90 barrers, making them outstanding materials for the manufacture and use as rigid, gas-permeable contact lenses.

Abstract: Novel hydrogels and hydroplastics are described which exhibit temperature dependent, reversible phase separations and clear-opaque transitions between 1.degree. and 100.degree. C. These materials consist of linear or crosslinked random copolymers of N,N-dimethylacrylamide with alkyl- and alkoxyalkyl acrylates. The water solubility and water swelling of these polymers is extremely temperature dependent; they show sharply defined clear to opaque transitions in their water swollen state and as soluble polymers show Lower Critical Solution Temperatures (LCST). They are useful in drug delivery systems, absorption and extraction processes and as qualitative thermometers, thermosensors and self-activating sunscreens, for example in greenhouses.

Abstract: Fluorine and/or silicone containing block copolymers are described which are the copolymerization product of mono; di- or trivinyl substituted poly(alkylene oxide) prepolymers (A) and fluoroalkyl-alkylene acrylates or methacrylates (B1), oligosiloxy-silyl alkyl-acrylates or methacrylates (B2), and optionally other copolymerizable comonomers (C). The novel block copolymers are prepared in solution or bulk and are characterized by high oxygen permeability, flexibility and wettability and are therefore well suited as biocompatible polymers, especially as contact lenses.

Abstract: Novel hydrogels and hydroplastics are described which exhibit temperature dependent, reversible phase separations and clear-opaque transitions between 1.degree. and 100.degree. C. These materials consist of linear or crosslinked random copolymers of N,N-dimethylacrylamide with alkyl- and alkoxyalkyl acrylates. The water solubility and water swelling of these polymers is extremely temperature dependent; they show sharply defined clear to opaque transitions in their water swollen state and as soluble polymers shown Lower Critical Solution Temperatures (LCST). They are useful in drug delivery systems, absorption and extraction processes and as qualitative thermometers, thermosensors and self-activating sunscreens, for example in greenhouses.

Abstract: Vinyl unsaturated copolymers are described which are obtained in a two-step process and which consist of monomeric units A, B, C, D and E, copolymerized in a first step, and in a second step reacted with a reactive vinyl monomer M.sub.v, and in which A is a siloxane or fluorine containing vinyl monomer, 30-70% by weight; B is NN-dimethylacrylamide or N-vinylpyrrolidone, 30-70% by weight; C is an active hydrogen containing vinyl monomer, 0.5-25% by weight; D are other copolymerizable comonomers, 0-30% by weight, and E is a chain transfer agent, 0-10 mol percent. M.sub.v is a vinyl unsaturated isocyanate.These vinyl unsaturated polymers are useful, either by themselves or in combination with other copolymerizable vinyl monomers, as heat or UV-curable coatings or glass, plastic, wood, paper, textiles, metal or ceramics, said coatings possessing low surface energies and low refractive indices.

Abstract: Contact lenses which are optically clear, wettable, flexible, and of high oxygen permeability in the aqueous ocular environment of use, of a block copolymer containing polysiloxane and polyoxyalkylene oxide units are disclosed, as well as the preparation thereof and methods of treating vision defects therewith.

Abstract: Novel thermotropic hydrogel forming polymers are described, which are ramdom copolymers of N,N-dimethyacrylamide with methoxy-ethyl acrylate or methacrylate. The linear polymers exhibit in water a lower-critical-solution-temperature (LCST) between 0.degree. and 70.degree. C. The water swelling of the crosslinked polymers is extremely temperature dependent and the gels show sharply defined clear to opaque transitions. The novel polymers are useful in drug delivery systems, absorption and extraction processes and as qualitative thermometers, thermosensors and self-activating sunscreens, for example for greenhouses.

Abstract: The invention describes polymers which are obtained by copolymerization of 15-85 wt % N,N-dimethylacrylamide with about 15-85% of a fluorinated monomer such as perfluoroalkyl-alkylene acrylate or methacrylate with from 3 to 25 fluorine atoms and optionally, 0-50 wt % other acrylates or methacrylates and 0-20 wt %, but not more than 5 mol % of a polyvinyl functional crosslinking agent. These polymers are machinable in the dry state and form clear hydrogels with about 25-75 wt % water content and which possess oxygen-permeabilities 3-7 times higher than conventional hydrogels of similar water content. In the absence of crosslinking, the novel polymers are plasticized by water, forming clear hydroplastics with 30-70 wt % water content. The crosslinked polymers are especially useful for fabricating contact lenses for extended wear by either cutting and polishing a xerogel button, or by spin casting or direct molding in bulk or in solution.