Abstract: The invention uses supercritical fluid technology for removing the binder in the powder injection moulding (PIM) parts. The invention comprises of the feedstock formulation and its supercritical debinding process. In the debinding system, pressure and heat are applied to the carbon dioxide (CO2) to a certain level, in such a way to transform the CO2 to supercritical state. The supercritical CO2 is used as a solvent to remove the binder in the PIM parts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to provide hop-by-hop tracking for a communication network is described. In one embodiment, a router verifies that a next downstream router does not support tracking and in response terminates hop-by-hop tracking. An end router provides a compilation of all the timestamps back to the originating router.

Abstract: A zipper sleeve is provided that is made entirely or almost entirely of highly flame-retardant meta-aramid material to provide the zipper sleeve with highly flame-retardant characteristics. The zipper teeth rows of the zipper mechanism are attached directly to respective side edges of opposite sides of a sheet of highly flame-retardant material that will be used to make the sleeve. By attaching the zipper teeth rows directly to the meta-aramid material, the process of attaching the teeth can be fully automated, which ensures that the teeth will be precisely aligned. This feature allows a highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve made entirely or almost entirely out of meta-aramid material to be manufactured at relatively low costs and with very high yield.

Abstract: An AOC system includes an AOC optical module, a substantially cylindrical cable jacket, a bundle of optical fibers in the cable jacket, a metallic fiber holder, and a spring clip. A portion of the metallic fiber holder is seated within a recess in a metallic AOC module housing. The spring clip resiliently biases the portion of the metal fiber holder seated within the housing recess into contact with the metallic housing, promoting EMI shielding.

Abstract: An open loop half-bridge LLC power converter includes circuitry to reliably increase hold-up time without sacrificing efficiency. An LLC resonant circuit includes resonant inductance, a primary transformer winding, and resonant capacitance. An auxiliary circuit includes an auxiliary transformer winding, an inductor, and a third switching element coupled in series. A controller is coupled across a voltage sensor and effective thereby to determine a holdup time condition. In a “normal” operating condition the controller generates switch driver signals to turn OFF the third switching element and disable the auxiliary circuit, and in a hold-up time condition the controller turns ON the third switching element and enables the auxiliary circuit wherein the output voltage is increased via current supplied from the auxiliary winding. In various embodiments the auxiliary winding may be an auxiliary primary or secondary, or a secondary to an auxiliary primary winding of a second transformer.

Abstract: A resonant converter apparatus includes a plurality of resonant converters connected in parallel, and a control module outputting a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal to the resonant converters. The control module includes a voltage control loop and a circuit control loop. The voltage control loop compares the sensed output voltage with a predetermined reference voltage, and outputs a PWM control signal to one of the resonant converters so the output voltage of the one converter is equal to the predetermined reference voltage. The current control loop uses the sensed output current of the one converter as a reference current, compares the reference current with the sensed output current from each of the other resonant converters, generates a frequency adjusting variable, and calculates the individual PWM control signal for each of the other converters so the output currents of the plurality of converters are the same.

Abstract: A method and device for supplying power for an ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) earphone by utilization of a power source of an electronic equipment. According to the power supplying method, power is supplied to a noise canceling circuit of the ANC earphone and its related circuits by the power source of the electronic equipment through a microphone contact, a left channel audio contact, or a right channel audio contact of an earphone jack of the electrical equipment. The power supplying device includes the ANC earphone and the electronic equipment. This invention enables the ANC earphone to directly obtain power from the power source of the electronic equipment, so that the ANC earphone is simple in structure, convenient to carry, suitable for mass production, low in production cost, and high in compatibility.

Abstract: The present application is directed to a method of waterless processing of textile materials using supercritical fluid, including the use of supercritical fluid to dye the textile materials, the use of supercritical fluid for a pre-processing procedure of cleansing the textile materials, and the use of supercritical fluid to wash off unfixed dyes and cleansing of the textile materials and to perform the post-processing procedure of adding functional materials after the use of supercritical fluid to dye the textile materials. The present application provides an integrated technology of pre-processing, dyeing and post-processing of textile materials using supercritical fluid. At the same time, cleansing and dyeing are performed which effectively raises the efficiency.

Abstract: A motor assembly for a direct current (DC) electric motor, including: a motor cover, a brush base, brush arms and a chip capacitor housed within a protective hollow space provided in the brush base. The brush arms are shaped to support or hold the capacitor within the hollow space and maintain a solderless electrical connection between the terminal ends of the capacitor and the brush arms. The capacitor filters electromagnetic noises in the motor input circuit.

Abstract: A motor assembly for a direct current (DC) electric motor, including: a motor cover, a brush base, brush arms and a chip capacitor housed within a protective hollow space provided in the brush base. The brush arms are shaped to support or hold the capacitor within the hollow space and maintain a solderless electrical connection between the terminal ends of the capacitor and the brush arms. The capacitor filters electromagnetic noises in the motor input circuit.

Abstract: A device includes a printed circuit assembly (PCA) including a printed circuit board and at least one electronic component integrated with the printed circuit board, and a support to which the PCA is securable. At least one of the PCA and the support includes engaging structure elements, and some engaging structure elements are configured to secure the PCA to the support while other engaging structure elements are configured to secure the support to a securing structure within a housing of an electronic device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a microprocessor includes one or more processing cores. At least one processing core includes a clock shaping circuit that is configured to receive a clock input signal. The clock shaping circuit includes rising edge skew logic that is configured to selectively delay a rising edge of the clock input signal and falling edge skew logic that is configured to selectively delay a falling edge of the clock input signal independent of adjustment of the rising edge.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a smart card (20) embedded with an integrated circuit module (28) and an antenna coil (8) includes step (a), embedding an antenna coil (8) on a core sheet (6), (b), laminating the core sheet (6) with a number of outer sheets (10, 12, 14, 16) to form a laminated panel (18), (c), forming a cavity (22) in the laminated panel (18) to expose two ends (24) of the antenna coil (8), and (d), connecting two electric contact regions (30) of an integrated circuit module (28). The exposed ends (24) of the antenna coil (8) are connected by a mezzanine electrode diffusion welding method, controlled by a transformer output manipulation energy output control method.

Abstract: A technique for generating pushdown data comprises performing logical pushdown of circuit elements and nets and detecting physical pushdown based on partition boundary crossings. Geometry associated with one logical level may be used as a keep-out region for the same physical layer when generating physical design of a different logical level. The technique may advantageously enable concurrent design in both top-level and low-level physical design phases, thereby reducing overall design cycle time in developing an integrated circuit.

Abstract: An optics system for use with a parallel optical communications module is provided that includes a support structure for supporting the ends of the optical fibers in a way that ensures that the ends of the optical fibers are maintained in precise optical alignment with respective optical coupling elements of the optics system. The support structure makes it virtually impossible for there to be any misalignment between the ends of the optical fibers and the respective optical coupling elements of the optics system to prevent misalignment problems from occurring. In addition, the optics system is configured in such a way that the likelihood that the ends of the optical fibers will be damaged as they are inserted into the optics system is very small.

Abstract: A dual-domain dynamic multiplexer and a method of transitioning between asynchronous voltage and frequency domains. One embodiment of the dual-domain dynamic multiplexer includes: (1) a first domain having a first voltage and a first clock, and a second domain having a second voltage and a second clock, (2) a plurality of data and data select input pairs wherein a data input of an input pair is in the first domain and a data select input of an input pair is in the second domain, and (3) a pre-charge stage in the second domain that is energized upon an edge of the second clock, whereby one data and data input pair is enabled and data latched in the second domain upon another edge of the second clock.

Abstract: An open loop half-bridge LLC power converter includes circuitry to reliably increase hold-up time without sacrificing efficiency. An LLC resonant circuit includes resonant inductance, a primary transformer winding, and resonant capacitance. An auxiliary circuit includes an auxiliary transformer winding, an inductor, and a third switching element coupled in series. A controller is coupled across a voltage sensor and effective thereby to determine a holdup time condition. In a “normal” operating condition the controller generates switch driver signals to turn OFF the third switching element and disable the auxiliary circuit, and in a hold-up time condition the controller turns ON the third switching element and enables the auxiliary circuit wherein the output voltage is increased via current supplied from the auxiliary winding. In various embodiments the auxiliary winding may be an auxiliary primary or secondary, or a secondary to an auxiliary primary winding of a second transformer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to provide hop-by-hop tracking for a communication network is described. In one embodiment, a router verifies that a next downstream router does not support tracking and in response terminates hop-by-hop tracking. An end router provides a compilation of all the timestamps back to the originating router.

Abstract: A hydroprocessing system involves introducing heavy oil and in situ formed metal sulfide catalyst particles, or a catalyst precursor capable of forming metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heavy oil, into a hydroprocessing reactor. The metal sulfide catalyst particles are formed in situ by 1) premixing a catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form a precursor mixture, 2) mixing the precursor mixture with heavy oil to form a conditioned feedstock, and 3) heating the conditioned feedstock to decompose the catalyst precursor and cause or allow metal from the precursor to react with sulfur in the heavy oil to form the metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ in the heavy oil. The in situ formed metal sulfide catalyst particles catalyze beneficial upgrading reactions between the heavy oil and hydrogen and eliminates or reduces formation of coke precursors and sediment.

Abstract: A hydroprocessing method and system involves introducing heavy oil and well-dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles, or a catalyst precursor capable of forming the well-dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ within the heavy oil, into a hydroprocessing reactor. The well-dispersed or in situ metal sulfide catalyst particles are formed by 1) premixing a catalyst precursor with a hydrocarbon diluent to form a precursor mixture, 2) mixing the precursor mixture with heavy oil to form a conditioned feedstock, and 3) heating the conditioned feedstock to decompose the catalyst precursor and cause or allow metal from the precursor to react with sulfur in the heavy oil to form the well-dispersed or in situ metal sulfide catalyst particles. The well-dispersed or in situ metal sulfide catalyst particles catalyze beneficial upgrading reactions between the heavy oil and hydrogen and eliminates or reduces formation of coke precursors and sediment.