Abstract: The assembly of the present disclosure includes a one-piece, molded or formed water distribution tube and an evaporator component or top. The tube connects to the evaporator component without the use of any additional fasteners such as metal screws. A protrusion or tab formed in the tube effects the connection to the evaporator component. Water is introduced to the tuba via an inlet, where the water flow is evened out partially with a divider within the tube. The water exits through drainage holes in the tube, and passes over an evaporator to be frozen into ice.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices for sealing components and areas of the food zone of an ice machine, including systems that transport fluids and devices used for the production and harvest of ice. Due to the form, fit, and function of food zone components, gaps or pathways may exist in that unwanted fluids or solids may enter the food zone. Pathways for contamination to enter a food zone include: refrigeration tubing, water supply, drain tubing, electrical connections, and devices for antimicrobial protection, automatic cleaning systems, ice harvest assist, and transportation of ice from the ice making surface to the storage bin. Methods and devices of creating contaminant-proof barriers are disclosed, including: sealing, trapping, gasketing and/or creating a positive pressure within the food zone, alone or in combination. The methods and devices can be used in a systematic arrangement to create an essentially contaminant-proof ice machine food zone.

Abstract: An apparatus for picking up material is disclosed that has a scoop section with a bottom, a leading edge, two spaced apart side walls extending up from opposed sides of the bottom, and a back between the two side walls extending up from the bottom opposite the leading edge. The scoop has a cavity formed within the bottom, the side walls, and the back, and having an open front end and extending rearward therefrom. The scoop has a handle connected to and extending rearward and downward from the back of the scoop section. The handle and back are fixedly or adjustably attached to one another. The scoop cavity has an extended cavity section disposed under the handle that is a contiguous part of the cavity. The scoop is ergonomically designed for reducing stress related fatigue, strain or injury to the upper or lower extremities, or shoulder or neck.

Abstract: A digitizer pen (100) has a pressure sensor (104) that includes a flexible first printed component (600) and a flexible second printed component (700), on which are printed or otherwise disposed traces of non-carbon ink. The non-carbon ink on at least one of the printed components is a resistive non-carbon ink (606 and 706). The first printed component has a circular sensor section (602) that opposes a circular sensor section (702) of the second printed component. The non-carbon ink on the circular sensor section of at least one of the printed components forms a pattern of pie-shaped traces (711–716) symmetrical about a center (1000) of the circular sensor section. A stylus (130) transfers force from a writing tip (136) to the pressure sensor, at or near the center of the circular sensor section, either directly or through an elastomer (148), and presses the circular sensor sections together.

Abstract: This is a pen cursor structure for a positional digitizing device such as a digitizing tablet or a pen-driven computer. It comprises a structure of an electrically insulating material having a plurality of areas for receiving and carrying electrical components, an inner structure having a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within the areas and a plurality of electrical traces interconnecting the plurality of electrical contacts. The structure is curved about a longitudinal axis to fit within an outer, hollow, pen-shaped housing.

Abstract: In a pen cursor for use in performing writing motions on the surface of a tablet, this is a sensor for mounting in a tip portion of the pen cursor to develop a signal output indicating longitudinal force on a writing tip of the pen cursor. A tip member extends from the tip portion of the pen cursor and is mounted for longitudinal movement. It has a plunger portion extending therefrom within the pen cursor. A resistive member and a conductive member are disposed within the pen cursor behind the plunger portion. The plunger portion forces the resistive member and the conductive member together in electrical contact over a contacting area which is directly proportional to the amount of longitudinal pressure on the plunger portion. A voltage is connected across the contacting area whereby resistance as a function of longitudinal pressure on the plunger portion can be measured.

Abstract: This is a low-cost cursor for a digitizing tablet which provides the user with the feel of a mouse. There is a case bottom piece for sliding on the surface of the digitizing tablet and a pair of microswitches. A printed circuit board fits in the case bottom piece with the pair of switches mounted behind one another thereon. A transparent front-piece is disposed over the printed circuit board with slots therethrough through which the switches are disposed. The front-piece has a front portion extending outward from a front end and parallel to the bottom surface and has an annular armature formed thereon with a concentric pair of cross-hairs and a sensing coil of wire wound around the armature. A connecting cable of wires is connected to the sensing coil of wire and the switches. There is also a case top piece attached over the case bottom piece to form a hollow case which is tapered from back to front to give the case the feel of a mouse.

Abstract: A digitizing tablet for use in conjunction with a stylus and a digitizing circuit capable of generating signals representative of the position of the stylus on the digitizing tablet is disclosed. The digitizing tablet includes a sheet of glass that functions as the writing surface over which the stylus is disposed. On the underside of the glass, opposite the writing surface, there are lines of conductive ink that have been applied as two sets of parallel lines that intersect perpendicularly so as to form a grid. A dielectric ink is applied over the conductive ink to serve as a protective coating and an insulator to prevent current flow at the points the lines intersect. The lines of conductive ink terminate at surface contact pads also formed of conductive ink. Electrical components can be surface mounted to the digitizing tablet at the surface contact pads by the use of a solder, conductive adhesive or other conductive bonding media.

Abstract: A digitizer cursor coil for use as part of a digitizer is disclosed. The cursor coil includes a primary winding and a secondary winding concentric with the primary winding and having a larger diameter than same. The windings are connected together in series such than when they are energized, current flow in the primary coil is in a direction opposite to the direction of the current flow in the secondary coil. The digitizer cursor includes a lens assembly comprising a bottom core and a top core both of which are formed from a disk shaped transparent material. The primary winding is wrapped into a groove formed in the bottom core, the secondary winding is wrapped into a groove formed in the top core. Cross hairs and a cross hair center point are formed in the bottom core. The top core is movable relative to the top core so that when the cursor coil is energized the center point of the magnetic field formed thereby can be aligned with the cross hair center point.

Abstract: A flexible circuit (28) containing the grid connectors of a digitizer tablet (10) converge in a transition region (48) disposed in an unshielded area. However, the positional inaccuracies that would otherwise result from the exposure of the non-parallel conductors to radiation from the tablet's stylus (24) are reduced because the flexible circuit (28) is kept in close proximity to a metal plate (32) throughout the transition region (48) in which the conductors depart from a parallel configuration.

Abstract: An electronic writing pen which induces electromagnetic signals in conductors which are disposed in a writing table and are connected to digitizer circuitry is disclosed. The pen has a writing cartridge which is movable within the pen housing and includes, in one embodiment, a thin, deformable, stainless steel dome switch element which functions as an electrical contact in a normally-open switch which is utilized to provide an electrical indication of the up/down status of the pen to the digitizer and tactile feel of change of pen position to the pen user. In another embodiment, the switch includes an insulating strip having a conductive layer thereon to provide status indication with low application of force to the pen and without tactile feel.